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December 9, 2003

In an extremely successful collection campaign, as of December 2, 2003, 95% of the Union membership had responded to the Union’s request for PAF contributions, donating a total of $17,001 to Local 1650’s Political Action Fund. Local 1650’s Executive Board had recommended that each teacher contribute $100 to our local PAF. Members were also asked to contribute $20 to the MFT&SRP political fund.

The Executive Board extends its sincere thanks to those who contributed and thus supported Local 1650’s political efforts to pass the recent HFCC millage proposals; protect bargaining rights; and secure the local and State funding necessary to operate HFCC, maintain instructional quality, and compensate its employees. Additional checks should be made out to HFCC-FT 1650 PAF and forwarded to your Area Representative.

All current and retired Local 1650 members are cordially invited to a Local 1650's Holiday Luncheon on Monday, December 15, 2003, from 11:30 to 2:30, in L-311. The luncheon will feature a variety of salads and sandwiches (both meat and vegetarian) from Kasey's Salad Bar, heaps of desserts from Richter's German Restaurant, and a variety of drinks (all non-alcoholic). Please, stop in and share a little Holiday Joy with your colleagues.

The results of the recent 1650 officer elections are as follows: Vice President of Internal Affairs, Betsy Cohn, and Secretary, Marsha Steele. The following representatives from odd-numbered areas were elected as well: Area 1, Imad Nouri; Area 3, Gerald Klein; Area 5, Marilyn Thibodeau; Area 7, Stewart Vining; and Area 9, Kevin Dewey.

The upcoming Professional Issues Conference will focus on a new angle to an old problem: how to retain our academically talented students. As you may recall from Dr. Chielens’ presentation at a past College Organization meeting, attrition is an unexpectedly big problem for our high achievers, who often leave before completing a degree. In order to protect the viability of HFCC programs and upper-level courses and in order to improve the number of degree recipients (which is a criterion that may be used by State and Federal agencies to assess the College’s productivity and effectiveness), we hope to uncover the causes of attrition and some strategies to stem the tide. Dr. Brenda Williams from Noel-Levitz will use the results of a survey distributed to approximately 300 high-achieving HFCC students as the foundation of her talk, which will be customized to address our College’s concerns. Given her background as a college educator and administrator as well as her research expertise in the area of student retention, she should share valuable insights. We will also get the student perspective in a follow-up panel discussion.

The Professional Issues Conference, a contractual obligation, is scheduled for Thursday, January 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Administrative Services & Conference Center’s Forfa Auditorium. We look forward to seeing you there.

AFT PLUS is pleased to offer the Student Loan Consolidation Program as a new benefit to AFT members who are paying off student loans. This program is guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education and offers superior benefits and customer service compared to those offered by other loan consolidation providers. The benefits of consolidating through the Student Loan Consolidation Program for those who have more than $10,000 in outstanding eligible federal education loans are significant. The program allows you to lock in a fixed interest rate for the life of the loans and lower monthly payments by as much as 54 percent. You can reduce your interest rate by up to 1.85 percent and simplify your repayments by making only one monthly payment. Student loans still in repayment may be eligible for student loan consolidation, even if you started repayment years ago. Interest rates on student loans are currently low, so if you are considering consolidation, now may be the best time to do it. If you are a recent graduate, you may be able to lock in a rate as low as 2.875 percent. Call 1-800-936-4976 or visit http://www.aft.org/aftplus/consolidation to see how you can benefit from this outstanding new member benefit program. (Article from AFT PLUS Member Benefits Department, Oct. 10, 2003)

You're just not the type to give a holiday gift that was made in a sweatshop. This year, you can shop with your conscience at The Union Shop Online-the AFL-CIO's retail store featuring top-quality, union-made-in-the-USA clothing and gifts. Click on the link below to browse for everything from fleece jackets, books and music to the perfect red wagon for the child in your life. http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/x7qbauM1W1NL/

Buy Union Week is Nov. 29 - Dec. 7. Mark it by shopping at The Union Shop Online and at the new online mall at http://www.nosweatshop.com/ , where you'll find union-made apparel from Justice Clothing, No Sweat Apparel, SweatX, Union Jean and Apparel Union Threads and Union wear. Go to: http://www.nosweatshop.com/

CLOTHING: At The Union Shop Online you'll find dozens of gifts that carry your values of social and economic justice. Check out the cozy fleece, baseball jackets and knit watch caps-proudly made by UNITE members: http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/s7qbauM1W1Nq/

HOLIDAY CARDS: Send your holiday greetings with justice-inspired, GCIU-printed seasonal, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa cards that will show you care: http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/sdqbauM1W1N1/

And if you're in Washington, D.C., visit The Union Shop in person at the AFL-CIO, 815 16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006.

Article from peoplepower@aflcio.org, Nov.13, 2003