PCT PLEDGE
THE PCT PLEDGE IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF
THE PLAINVIEW-OLD BETHPAGE CONGRESS OF TEACHERS
Volume XXXXI, No.5 January 16, 2004
EMPIRE COSTS UP 14%By PCT President Morty Rosenfeld
Once
again the cost of our health insurance plans is escalating faster than other
items in the cost of living index. This
year’s fourteen percent increase is on top of a ten percent increase last
year. Active PCT members who pay twenty-five percent of the cost of a family
plan, have experienced a significant increase.
Retired PCT members, many living on an essentially fixed income, pay
sixty-five percent of the cost of a family plan.
School districts too are
buckling under the burden. Last
year in POB, the District’s budget for health insurance increased in excess
of a million dollars. The same
thing is happening this year.
Across the country employers are dropping health coverage for their
workers or reducing the quality of the health package they offer.
It probably won’t be long before the State of New York feels obliged
to demand changes in the Empire Plan from the union with whom it bargains its
provisions. The simple fact of the matter is our nation is going broke paying
for a health care system that in no way makes us the healthiest people in the
world. The American health care
system makes no sense. It rations
health care to people who have insurance and money.
It is an outrage for a nation which prides itself on its caring
instincts.
We are entering the Presidential election season, starting with the
Democratic primaries and building to the November election.
I would ask each PCT member to scrutinize the candidates very
carefully, especially where they stand on the health care crisis in the United
States. Spiraling health care
costs make it harder to bargain good contracts, make it harder to fund decent
schools, make it harder to feed the hungry and do many other things that
civilized people are ethically obligated to do.
On January 7, 2004 teachers from Mattlin and POB Middle Schools met
with PCT President Morty Rosenfeld, Vice-President Vicki Ahlsen and Secretary
Judi Alexanderson to begin a discussion of how our union should proceed in
light of the Board of Education having set as its one goal for the year a look
at the District’s Middle School program.
Rosenfeld urged the assembled members to develop their own middle
school agenda, challenging them to do their own assessment of our middle
school program which they teach each school day and from that assessment to
dream of the middle schools in which they would want to teach.
“Otherwise,” he said, “Others will determine how our program will
change, and we will be left to work to their designs.”
This was the first in many meetings that will take place.
Morty Rosenfeld will attend the January SRC meeting at each middle
school to listen to the members ideas for how we might improve our already
excellent program.
The PCT is also forming a Middle School Committee to work on this
project. If, as the officers of
the PCT hope, the Board of Education creates a district-wide committee of
teachers, parents and administrators to study our middle school program, the
members of the PCT committee will be our representatives to that group.
If a district-wide committee is not formed, our committee will serve as
our clearinghouse for ideas about the improvement of the middle school program
which will inform any political action work on this issue that we may have to
undertake.
Middle school members wishing to serve on this very important
committee, should call or send their names to the PCT Office.
Members may also wish to read Morty Rosenfeld’s TeacherTalk
article on our Middle Schools at www.pobct.org.
The New York State Public Employment Relations Board has advised the
PCT that a conference will be held on January 26, 2004 on the PCT’s petition
to be elected as the union representing the one hundred and fifty-four School
Aides in our district. It is at
this conference that a date for the secret ballot election will probably be
set.
Meanwhile, the PCT is making preparations to welcome the Aides into our
union. Work is also proceeding to
duplicate their benefit package, as they will also become members of our
Welfare Fund. Members are asked to
find opportunities to engage the aides with whom they work and encourage them
to vote for the PCT.
At its January 13 meeting, the PCT
Executive Board voted to conduct a political action collection over the course
of the next few weeks.
PCT/PAC is the fund that our union uses to finance the political work it
does in support of our membership and public education in New York.
The monies raised in a PAC fund drive are used to support endorsed
candidates for the Board of Education, New York State Assembly and Senate and
Governor. The PCT does not use
members dues dollars to support its political activities.
It relies totally on the voluntary contributions of its members.
The PCT is obliged to work politically because of the fact that much of
what happens in a public school district is dependent on the decisions of our
elected representatives.
Soon, members of the SRC will
approach you for a contribution to PCT/PAC.
Collecting money is one of the most burdensome responsibilities our Reps
have. Won’t you make their busy
and difficult days a little easier by having your contribution ready for them.
The recommended amount is ten dollars ($10.00) for teachers and
librarians and five dollars ($5.00)
for Educational Support Professionals and Substitute Teachers.
Checks should be made payable to PCT/PAC.
While
the old AOL addresses will continue to work for a while, we are in the process
of working our way out of AOL both for union e-mail and hosting our web page.
Remember, our web page is now located at www.pobct.org.
PUBLIC
WANTS MORE FLEXIBILITY AND FUNDING