News
2/27/2012 Voting Results
*Updated 02/28/2012 5P.M.
*The votes were tallied yesterday with a unanimous Yes vote to ratify both M.O.U.'s (Memorandum of Understanding) regarding the Furlough days as well as the Vacation carry overs. Local Chapter 112 wants to Thank all current voting members for the great turnout. Please join us at our monthly chapter meetings for news, updates, events and 50/50 raffles. Our next meeting is at the District Office, March 6th in the Bramlett Room at 4:30P.M.
Mid-year transportation funding cuts restored. With the help of your letters, phone calls and demonstrations, state lawmakers got the message about the devastating effects of cutting school bus funding. SB 81 was approved by both houses of the legislature and signed into law today by Gov. Jerry Brown. This bill restores $248 million to fund school transportation for this year by allocating those reductions to revenue limits instead. The fight is not over, however. SB 81 restores this year’s school bus funding only. The governor’s budget proposal for next year calls for the total elimination of the state’s school transportation program. If we want to keep our school buses rolling next year, we’ve got to start getting organized in our local communities.Now is a good time to start talking to parents and others in your community about the threat to school transportation funding. Set up ways to communicate with each other so you can keep in touch as the Legislature starts holding hearings on the governor’s proposed budget. Go to www.savemyschoolbus.org for more information and community resources. The more organized we are, the quicker we’ll be able to respond when the Legislature begins to debate this issue.
From winding country roads to busy city streets, school bus drivers carry the most precious cargo: our children. School bus drivers, mechanics and other school transportation personnel are the safest and most qualified in the state.They also care about the kids and the community. Bus drivers know that parents want the peace of mind that comes from trusting the person behind the wheel of the big yellow bus.According to the National Safety Council, school buses are about 40 times safer than the family car. CSEA members have pushed for this level of safety by sponsoring several legal reforms over the years, including the 1968 law that requires all buses to carry the “Stop when Red Lights Flash” sign.School bus drivers volunteer for more training than any other drivers in the state, and they are all required to pass an extensive background check before they receive a license to drive a school bus.Getting kids to and from school safely and on schedule makes bus drivers, mechanics and other transportation personnel an integral part of our schools and our communities.
*Know Your Rights (Posted 01/09/12) Evaluations and your rights Have you received a performance evaluation that you believe is unjust? According to the Education Code, you have the right to submit a rebuttal to a performance evaluation or any other derogatory documentation that is placed in your personnel file. You also have the right to inspect any materials in your personnel file that might affect your employment status, and you maintain this right for as long as you are employed by the district. However, there are some exceptions, including: reports or records that were obtained prior to your employment, were prepared by identifiable examination committee members, or were obtained in connection with a promotional examination. Information of a derogatory nature, with the exceptions mentioned above, shall not be placed in your file until you are given notice and an opportunity to review and comment on it. You have the right to attach your own comments to any derogatory statement. You also have the right to do this during normal business hours and you must be released from work for this purpose, without a salary reduction. Questionable evaluations Be aware that a mark of “needs improvement” or “unsatisfactory” should be accompanied by specific instructions from the evaluator on how you can improve. Also be aware that you have the right to attach a rebuttal to the evaluation if you wish. All evaluations should be signed and dated by the evaluator and the employee – your signature does not mean that you agree, merely that you received the evaluation. If your evaluation was not objective and the evaluator did not have first-hand knowledge of the area marked deficient, you have the right to meet with the evaluator to discuss your concerns. Do not go to a meeting of this nature without a union representative. Contact your job steward, chapter officer or labor relations representative prior to scheduling the meeting.
*Union Plus Scholarships (Posted 01/09/12) For 20 years, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $2.5 million to students of working families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education. More than 1,800 families have benefited from this program. The Union Plus Scholarship Program offers cash awards, ranging from $500 to $4,000, to recipients based on academic achievement, potential, character, leadership, social awareness,career goals and financial need. Applications can be downloaded at http://www.unionplus.org/scholarships. All applications must be postmarked by Jan. 31, 2012.
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*Government outlines plan to help struggling homeowners (Posted 9/9/08) In response to the mortgage crisis, Congress approved legislation that will allow the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to continue providing mortgage assistance to homeowners. The Hope for Homeowners program will continue FHA’s existing efforts to provide aid to struggling families trapped in mortgages they currently cannot afford. Under the program, certain borrowers facing difficulty with their mortgage will be eligible to refinance into FHA-insured mortgages they can afford. The program will be implemented on Oct. 1. Homeowners May Already Be Eligible For Assistance Families should not wait to seek mortgage relief. Right now, homeowners can determine if they are already eligible for mortgage assistance through FHASecure, FHA’s existing refinancing program. They can obtain information through any of the following options: contact a local, HUD-approved housing counseling agency at HUD.gov; contact the HOPE NOW Alliance at (888) 995-HOPE; or call FHA at (800) CALL-FHA. Sustainable Affordability Hope for Homeowners adheres to FHA’s long-standing requirement that new loans be based on a family’s long-term ability to repay the mortgage and on owner-occupancy. Borrowers must also meet all of the following eligibility criteria: * The mortgage must have originated on or before Jan. 1, 2008; * Mortgage debt-to-income must be no more than 31 percent; * Cannot afford the current loan; * Did not intentionally miss mortgage payments; and * Do not own a second home. Features of FHA-insured loans under the new program include: * 30-year, fixed rate mortgage; * Maximum 90 percent loan-to-value ratio; * No prepayment penalties; * $550,440 maximum mortgage amount; * Extinguishment of any subordinate liens; and * New home appraisals from FHA-approved appraisers. The program will last from Oct. 1, 2008 through Sept. 30, 2011.