BLOOMINGTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
Spring Newsletter
President's Message
The BFT has started gearing up for the next round of bargaining, since our contract expires June 30, 2019. Now is the time to start sharing your needs and ideas with your building stewards and the Negotiations Advisory Committee (NAC). Be on the look out for a membership survey next week. Your input on negotiations is valued!!
Our NAC will be meeting on Tuesdays at 4:00 PM at OGM Room 228 until further notice. This group is open to all members. It is a place to share how we can improve working conditions. Also, it is a good place to discuss what can and can not be dealt with at the bargaining table. The Chair of the NAC is Jessica Rice, KHS math teacher. Our Lead Negotiator is Jeff Bunkert, OGM tech teacher. Our current contract is on the BFT website. Our negotiators for 2019-2021 include Josh Coval, Matt Wise, Jessica Rice and Liz Vollbrecht. If you are interested in being a negotiator, please contact me. We are always looking for prospective trainees.
Education Minnesota Representative Convention--Hilton Minneapolis
If you would like to attend, please email me directly at bftpresident@gmail.com. In the email, include the following information and I will register you:
- Name
- Delegate email address
- Delegate mailing address
- Delegate telephone number
- First-time delegate (yes or no)
- Member of color (yes or no)
- Going green (yes or no)
Deadline to let me know is April 17. If you want more information, please contact Carole Bennett, vice president.
Friday, Apr 26, 2019, 06:00 PM
1001 Marquette Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55403
TRA ballots are in the mail: Vote Agegnehu, Thompson
Ballots for the Minnesota TRA Board of Trustees election began arriving in mailboxes and email boxes this week. If you plan on voting via paper ballot, please don't throw the ballot away. You can vote online with the email ballot you should be receiving.
Education Minnesota has endorsed Yohannes Agegnehu, a business and accounting faculty member at Inver Hills Community College in Inver Grove Heights, and Marshall Thompson, a math teacher in Osseo, for the active teacher seats up for election on the TRA board.
Agegnehu has been a faculty member at Inver Hills since 2011, with a previous career in banking and financial advisement. Thompson is seeking re-election to the TRA board. He is a math teacher at Park Center High School. He has served as a local negotiator, treasurer of the Metro Area Council and is on the Education Minnesota Governing Board. He has been on the Board of Trustees since 2015.
Read more about our endorsed candidates for TRA board and the election.
Gary Siemer's Exemplary Union Leader and Educator Award Nominations Now Open
It's time to nominate a fellow BFT member for the Gary Siemer's Exemplary Union Leader and Educator Award.
Please send a letter of nomination that includes how the person you are nominating shows positive:
• BFT union involvement
• high quality student learning
• professional growth
• continuous learning
Submit your nomination on or before Thursday, April 18 via email to Carole Bennett . If you prefer to send a hard copy, send it to Carole Bennett at Westwood. Check out the BFT web page to see a list of former award recipients. Feel free to contact Carole with any questions.
Potential Members ... Come join the BFT
This spring, Education Minnesota is participating in an early enrollment program. The program allows first-time and potential members access to an array of member benefits from Education Minnesota, NEA and AFT beginning April 1 through Aug. 31 at NO COST.
Early enrollment is limited to recruits for the 2019-20 membership year who are either:
- First-time active members with an employment start date between April 1 and Aug. 31
- potential members who have never held an active membership in an NEA-affiliated local.
Please contact your building steward for more information. Join us and make a difference in the lives of students, teachers and families in your community.
DISTRICT BENEFITS OPEN ENROLLMENT APRIL 15-26
Our benefits have been reviewed by the Insurance Committee and a recommendation will be going to the school board this month to increase insurance premiums by 1% for 19-20 & 20-21. This is good news as we head into contract negotiations!