Puyallup Education Association

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April 11, 2012: 

Legislature Passes Budget

The Washington State Legislature, literally at dawn this morning, passed the budget that has  taken them an entire regular session plus a special session to pass. 

The final version of the bill, SB5940. that many of you sent emails and made phone calls about, was approved early this am.  It is confusing and convoluted hodgepodge of new requirements.

The bill, primarily sponsored by Sen. Steve Hobbs, never had a hearing, and the public never had a chance for comment. Although the bill makes major changes to the $1 billion health care system that covers 200,000 educators and family members, most legislators voted on the bill without seeing it – including legislators who demanded more “transparency” from the existing health care system."

While the new bill does not include a state takeover of the health care system (many legislators say that WEA members were instrumental in striking down the loss of bargaining rights),           it will require more complicated expectations of our district and our local. It will take time to figure out exactly what will be entailed, since this bill was just passed this morning, after an all-night special session.  We'll learn the true impact on school employees and their families after the    WEA Budget and insurance experts fully analyze the bill.

Thanks to PEA Exec Board Members Jennifer Oliver, Lisa Elliott, Terry Addison, Sheila Whittingslow, Heidi Eshpeter, and member Kim Ramsey, who joined me in a sudden drive to Olympia to meet with  Representatives Dammeier and Zeiger.  We were joined by other members of the Summit UniServ Council and over 50 other WEA members who raced to Olympia to confront our representatives in person to persuade them to leave our collective bargaining rights alone.

In addition to the members named above,  thanks to ALL of you who have called,   texted, emailed, or lobbied in person your Legislators- it made a difference!

So how did the Legislators of the 25th Vote on the revised version of SB 5940?

Representative Zeiger voted the right way.

Representative Dammeier and Senator Kastama, who co-sponsored SB5940, voted the wrong way. 

 For a complete list of how every Legislator voted, go to www.ourvoicewashingtonea.org for the    complete list or for further updates on what this means for all K-12 employees.  I wish I could say that it's over forever, but it won't be.  This is just "spring training" for the November, 2012 election!

Again, thanks to ALL who contacted your Legislators!!!! 

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BREAKING NEWS-

March 5, 2012

On Friday evening, we went to bed living in the state of Washington.  When we woke up, we were living in the   state of Wisconsin. 

In short, things got crazier in Olympia and it doesn’t bode well for our healthcare or education  in general.

Senate Republicans along with the Democrats Sheldon, Tom, & 25th District Senator Jim Kastama) passed a budget that attacks Public Education and Collective Bargaining Rights.  There were no public hearings on this budget, no prior legislative review, and absolutely no public scrutiny or comment. 

The Senators had less than 4 hours to actually READ  the budget before this vote was taken!

The GOP budget…

• reduces National Board Teacher Bonuses by more than ½ and reduces the length of time an individual can receive this compensation from 10 years to 5 years.
• skips a payment to the pension system, eliminates Plan 2 as an option for new members, and eliminates early retirement options for all new members.
• continues to support the stripping of collective bargaining rightsaround K-12   Employees Health Insurance by a state take-over. It goes forward using a loan from the current PEBB to pay for the start-up costs, putting additional pressure on the state employee health care plan.
• Fully cuts other education programs that the GOP claims are not part of “basic education”–over $44 million. (Readiness to Learn, Drop-out prevention programs, Community Partnerships, Running Start, just to name a few)
• Funds state Fair prizes (blue ribbons and cash prizes) to the tune of $3 million instead     of funding the Readiness to Learn program, which would have cost $3.2 million
• $88.7 million reduction in funding for school employees pensions, closing Plan 2 to new members, eliminates early retirement options for all new hires, and skips the                  $130 million payment that is due to the undfunded liability in TRS and PERS Plan 1.

This is a direct attack on Public Education and not anything less. The GOP moved quickly and        it will be a preview of what is to come without mobilization and pressure on our elected leaders.

Friday night’s events are a stunning demonstration of the fact that it matters who we elect,           and that we need to hold our elected officials accountable once in office.

We need to redouble our efforts on defeating the Health Care Take Over SB 6442, but, more critically, we also need to focus intense pressure on the House to not cave in to the Senate’s unethical tactics.

How do we do this…

Take action today, tomorrow, and every day until we make it known what this is really about.

Go to the Legislative Page of this website, or visit www.ourvoicewashingtonea.org  to see a list      of ALL email addresses for every Senator and Representative in the Legislature- so no matter WHERE you live, contact those who represent you TODAY.

BE sure to contact Senator Kastama and tell him how you feel about his funding of        "Fair Prizes" over Kids' Education!

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Contact your Legislator NOW about the state take-over of your health care system- the Senate is voting this week!

 
Here are some of the facts about this bill SB6442and why it is

SO BAD for us!

•  A state takeover of K-12 educators' health  benefit plans will provide no    cost savings and will actually cost taxpayers millions of  dollars. That's why educators oppose the  takeover proposed  in SB 6442.
Imposes higher costs:
•  Adds more than $21.5 million in NEW taxpayer costs:$12 million for start  up  costs in 2011-13, plus $9.5 million for additional start up costs in fiscal   year 2014. The ongoing cost is then estimated to be $7.1  million per year.
•  Requires an additional $25 million per year paid  by employees through higher premiums and  "point-of-service cost sharing" (higher fees).      Members could find themselves paying hundreds of dollars in additional premiums   each month.
•  Shifts all future cost risks to school districts  for costs above the state allocation.
•  Abandons a system that today costs less and  provides more: Currently,       the state pays $768 a month per full-time equivalent K-12 employee vs.     $850 per full-time state employee, yet K-12 employees get coverage that       is as  good or better  than what state employees receive.
Reduces and/or eliminates benefits and  healthcare provider choice:
•  Requires lower overall benefits to avoid  immediate cost increases.
•  Wipes out healthcare coverage entirely for thousands of part-time employees who work less than half time.
•  Members could lose their choice of healthcare providers.
   Abandons K-12 employee collective bargaining and local                     decision-making:
• Transfers all decision-making authority to the  Health Care Authority and       a newly created board; the proposal stacks the board membership in favor of the administration resulting in only token membership for employee groups.
•  Removes employee health benefits from the scope of collective      bargaining for all school employee groups.
   Eliminates competition and expands state government:
•  Replaces competition among plans school districts select from with a state monopoly that selects one carrier for all K-12 employees.
•  Adds another costly function to the state bureaucracy at a time when vital funding for K-12 education and other services is being cut.
   Rewards poor customer service:
•  HCA had a recent 9-month backlog in paying state employee health insurance claims.
•  Courts ruled against HCA for illegally barring some Medicaid patients from emergency room care.
•  Recent Seattle Timesexposé highlighted how the agency's cost-cutting practices were harming patients.
•  Adding over 100,000 enrollees to a K-12 program administered by the  HCA would likely mean customer service problems for K-12 employees.
•  K-12 employees have had the option to enroll in the state employee       health care plan since 1995, and less than 1 percent of the K-12 employees have made that choice.

The HCA proposal is a plan based on higher costs, bigger government, less competition, and poor customer service.

Please use and share these points. And take three minutes to send an email to your legislators opposing SB 6442. Click on the ourvoicewashingtonea.org link below and this will take you right to the site you can directly send an email to your Legislators. *Please do that now. This is a time sensative issue!

* from your home computer or your smart phone- not during working hours!

www.ourvoicewashingtonea.org

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What part of "NO!"do they not understand?

 
January 13, 2012- Just one week ago, the State Supreme Court ruled that the legislation has, over many years, failed to live up to its paramount constitutional duty: Amply funding public education.  The Court made it      clear  to legislators:  No more excuses; no more delays; no more cuts.

Yesterday, Sen. Rodney Tom and Rep. Eric Petigrew, along with 25th Legislator Sen. Jim Kastama, chose to ignore the Court's ruling.  Instead,  they  want to dip into the same pool of funding the Court has said doesn't measure up, and siphon off millions of dollars for charter schools.
The people of Washington have rejected charter schools at the ballot box-    the last time in every single county in Washington. That's three strikes.   Charter schools are little more than an unfilled promise to our students. They simply skim off those children whose parents have the  time and capability     to fill out endless applications.
"As educators," WEA President Mary Lindquist commented yesterday,    "WEA members are deeply committed to making sure all our students receive a quality education - an education that  both inspires and equips     them for the challenges of the 21st Century workplace. Across the state,    there are countless examples of innovative schools doing exactly that.        What we're seeing in these innovative schools is a return on investment we can all get behind."
Senator Tom and Representative Pettigrew "..should be working on the full funding challenge presented to them last week by the state Supreme Court. The people of Washington are demanding full public education funding           for our children and neighborhood schools," stated Lindquist. "Charter  schools are a distraction from the real debate and not a full funding solution." 
The truth is:  According to a 2009 study of charter school released by     Stanford University examining 70 percent of students enrolled in charter schools:

• 17 percent of charter schools provide superior education opportunities for their students.

• Nearly half of charter school nationwide have results that are no different  from local public schools.

• Over a third, 37percent, show learning results that are significantly inferior    to public schools.

The Focus of our Legislators should be on kids and educators, not failed legislation!  Contact  your Legislators today and let your opinions about Charter Schools be known! 

 January 5, 2012

           BREAKING NEWS:

                                    VICTORY!
 
Students are the big winners in NEWS lawsuit ruling!
The Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the state is not meeting its constitutional obligation to "amply fund" public education. The Court also made it clear that funding public education is the state's highest priority --     and the state Legislature cannot delay or sidestep any longer.
The 85-page opinion also said that the judiciary would keep an eye on lawmakers to make sure they fully implement education reforms by 2018.
"The court cannot idly stand by as the Legislature makes unfulfilled promises for reform," Justice Debra Stephens wrote in the majority opinion.
This is a big win for Washington students and schools!
For nearly a decade, WEA and its partners (which include PEA and PSD)        in the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS) have been arguing that public education in our state   is woefully underfunded. Our students and schools can no longer bear the impact of further funding cuts. Today, the state Supreme Court agreed.
Now the responsibility for taking action and correcting this injustice to our students is where it belongs: With the state legislature. The legislature can     no longer punt on full funding for public education. The Supreme Court has made it clear: No more excuses; no more delays.
Lawmakers convene Jan. 9 for a 60-day session.
Contact your legislators today- explain how further cuts will affect you and    your students. 
Call 1-800-562-6000, or send an email from your home computer  by going   to www.ourvoicewashingtonea.org.      
      

Don't EVER do this from either your school computer or during your school day!

2011-12 Bargaining Team Named
 
The following members  have agreed to serve on the 2011-12 Bargaining Team:
 
                                Elementary Rep:  Lisa Elliott (Zeiger)
                                Junior High Rep:  Larry Swanson (Aylen)
                                High School Rep:  Molly Susee (ERHS)
                                Special Services Rep:  Rosemary Thomas (Fruitland)
                                Specialists Rep:  Claire Ellis (Firgrove)
 
Please thank these members in advance for all of the hard work that they are going to be doing on our behalf!

                    PEA Exec Board Members:

President:                                                 Karen McNamara  (PEA Office)                                                                             253-845-4535

Vice-President:                                       Jennifer Oliver (Edgerton)                                                          253- 840-8809

Secretary:                                     Lisa Elliott (Zeiger)                                                         253-841-8663

Treasurer:                                    Terry Addison (Zeiger)                                                         253-841-8663

UniServ Rep 1:                             Heidi Eshpeter (Woodland)                                                         253-841-8747

UniServ Rep 3:                             Kelley Lee (Pope)                                                          253-841-8755  

UniServ Rep 4:                             Larry Swanson (Aylen)                                                          253-841-8723   

UniServ Rep 5:                             Amy Tutty (Edgerton)                                                                                               253-840-8809

UniServ Rep 6:                             Angelo Mills (Firgrove)                                                              253-841-8733  

UniServ Rep 7:                             Kim Petty (Shaw Road)                                                               253-841-8675    

UniServ Rep 9:                             Katie Fralick (Stewart)                                                                    253-841-8743   

UniServ Rep 10:                           Sheila Whittingslow (Meeker)                                                                                 253-435-2592   

UniServ Rep 11:                           Julie Harding (Sunrise)                                                                                               253-841-8744     

UniServ Rep 13:                           Tawana Bens (Ferrucci)                                                                                 253-841-8756