Please see the AFT MA News Archives for all News Items.
- RETIREE ALERT The WEP/GPO repeal bills have been re-filed. H.R.1795 is the House version. S896 is the Senate version. Please spend time this summer contacting friends and colleagues (especially in other states) asking that they contact members of Congress to sign on as cosponsors of these bills. Social Security will be discussed soon in Washington and it ...
- Senior Seminars (June, 2013) Preparing for Retirement by Marie Ardito This two-hour seminar is directed to all who will be retiring within the next 10 years from a public sector job in Massachusetts. Saturday June 22, 2013, 10-noon 314 Main Street, Unit 105, Wilmington, MA All Seminars are free. Register by emailing mardito@retireesunited.org or calling 617-482-1568 Make sure to give your name, the number ...
- Education v. Indoctrination There is little evidence that their education at UMass Dartmouth led one student to set bombs at the Boston Marathon and two of his classmates to hide evidence for him. By all accounts, none of the students were engaged in their studies at UMass Dartmouth. According to the New York Times, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had failed ...
- Retiree’s Corner: Overcoming Evil with Good The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. These words of Edmund Burke, who lived in the 18th century, are just as true today as when they were first spoken. In the past few months, we have had two tragedies hit New England that have rocked our very being, ...
Whether you are new to teaching or new to a union, there are certain terms that are helpful to know. In fact, there are many! In the educational spirit, we at The Advocate present this collection of definitions and explanations that we hope will make your life in AFT as easy as ABC.
- ABC’s of AFT: Employee Benefits Employee benefits (n.) - Compensations other than wages that are offered to employees in addition to their salaries or wages in an effort to increase their economic security and thereby improve worker retention and morale. Typical benefit packages may include such items as provided or paid housing, insurance (e.g., health, dental, life, etc.), disability income protection, ...
- ABCs of AFT: American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL – CIO) American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (n.) – The largest federation of unions in the United States. Having merged in 1955, the combined AF of L and C of IO (commonly referred to collectively as the AFL-CIO) is made up of 56 national and international unions (including the American Federation of Teachers) and represents ...
- ABCs of AFT: American Federation of Teachers (AFT) American Federation of Teachers (n.) – An organization founded in 1916 that represents 1.5 million educators, health care professionals, librarians and public employees in 3,000 local affiliates nationwide. The second-largest education labor union in the United States, the AFT is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and is currently ...
- ABCs of AFT: Collective bargaining Collective bargaining (n.) - A process of negotiations between employers and a group of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions. The employees are typically represented by a trade union to which they belong. The collective agreements reached by these negotiations set out such things as wage scales, working hours, training, health and safety, ...
