AFT Massachusetts has filed the following bills in the current legislative session:
Education
- Safe schools
House 431 would give teachers the authority to remove disruptive students from the classroom, require that districts provide alternative education programs for students removed from class and establish an alternative education grant program to award state grants to school districts that submit alternative education plans. - Collaborative teachers
House 450 would ensure teachers in collaborative schools of due process rights by giving them professional teaching status under the Education Reform Law. - Early Care and Ed Quality
House 1878 improves the quality of early education and care by providing for collective bargaining between workers at early childhood education and child care centers and the Commonwealth about such matters as professional development and training, rates of subsidy and reimbursement, tiered reimbursements, standards for worker compensation in state subsidized centers, and career ladders.
Collective Bargaining
- Efficient and Effective Public Sector Labor Relations
In October, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that evergreen clausees, which extend the terms of collective bargaining agreements while labor unions and employers negotiate a new agreement, are NOT explicitly permitted in the state’s Labor Relations statute. Senate 1404 and House 1654 would restore ovre 35 years of well-settled labor law by affirming that evergreen clauses are legal, even when they extend contract terms beyond three years.
Member Benefits
- Professional Status for Collaborative Teachers
House 422 ensures teachers in collaborative schools of due process by giving them professional teaching status. - Loan reimbursements
Senate 292 would expand the Attracting Excellence to Education program under which teachers meeting high academic standards receive stipends to pay off college loans. - Free tuition program
House 1177 would provide free tuition at state colleges and universities for teachers and paraprofessionals taking education-related courses. - Recertification
House 358 would reduce the fee charged teachers for the recertification required under the Education Reform Law. - MLS Tuition Assistance
Senate 610 would establish a grant program to aid librarians studying to earn a Masters of Library Science degree.
Pension Benefits
- Benefits in Layoffs
House 1081 would allow teachers laid off for budgetary reasons to credit time out of work toward their retirement benefits. - Continuous Service
House 2648 would allow teachers who are rehired after being laid off and withdrawing money from their retirement accounts to rejoin the retirement system with contributions at the level that prevailed when they first entered teaching. - Count Nurses’ Time As Teacher for Retirement Plus
Senate 1090 would allow school nurses to count years of school service before their inclusion in the Teacher Retirement System toward pension benefits under the Retirement Plus program. - VISTA Credits
House 1056 would allow public school teachers to credit toward their retirement benefits years spent in VISTA. - Sick Buildings Disability
House 3739 would allow public employees suffering lung or respiratory tract illnesses because of “sick building” conditions eligibility for disability retirement. - Post 1973 Non-Public School Service
House 2342 would allow credit toward retirement for a portion of years spent teaching in non-public schools. - School Nurses
House 2515 includes school nurses under the definition of teacher for retirement. - Lower Contributions
House 2822 would lower the rate of contributions teachers must pay into the Teacher Retirement System. - Compensation Credits
Senate 1487 would allow teachers to include all pay received for academic duties beyond their regular teaching as part of their salary on which retirement benefits are based.
Higher Education
- Higher Education Contracts
House 2570 would require the governor to send to the Legislature for funding collective bargaining agreements reached by administrators and unions at state colleges and universities. - Tenure Decisions
Senate 605 would require the UMass Board of Trustees to allow faculty member to speak and be represented by counsel if the tenure award is considered in executive session. - Faculty Representation
House 4196 would provide for faculty representation on the board of trustees of the University of Massachusetts. - Sabbatical Credits
Senate 1092 would allow faculty members in state colleges and universities to credit entire time spent on sabbatical leave toward their pension benefits. - Maintain Faculty Excellence
House 1119 would improve the compensation and working conditions of part-time public higher education faculty.
Help for Retirees
- Cost-of-Living Hikes
House 2487 would apply cost-of-living increases to retirees’ full pensions. - Maternity Leave Credit for Retired Teachers
Senate 1060 extends pre-1975 maternity leave creditable service retirement benefit to those retiring prior to 9-1-2000. - Increase Minimum Pension
House 2483 would provide retirees with 25 years of creditable service a minimum pension of $15,000.
