January 28, 2005
AFT ESTABLISHES TSUNAMI RELIEF FUND
In the tradition of its response to the AIDS crisis in Africa and the tragedy of September 11, the AFT has organized a response to the devastating Tsunami in the Asia-Pacific region and invites members to contribute. In a January 5 letter to AFT colleagues, President Edward McElroy and other top officers note that schools and public services were severely affected - including an estimated 10,000 or more teachers who died or seriously suffered. As an affiliate of Education International, an international organization of teachers unions, the AFT sent letters of sympathy and solidarity to sister unions in the area. Now it seeks to send monetary help.
The AFT hopes that its members will contribute generously to the AFT tsunami relief fund, which will be used by Education International, Public Services International, and the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center to provide direct humanitarian assistance. Even if you have already contributed to other relief efforts, the AFT hopes that you will consider contributing to this one as well to assist colleagues associated with the union movement-educators, public employees, and healthcare workers.
To make a tax-deductible
contribution, please make your check out to "AFT Educational
Foundation," and mark the check "Tsunami Relief." You may
forward checks to the Local 1650 office (A-201) for delivery to the AFT.
WEB ADVISOR FAILURES
Much of the last Local 1650 Executive Board Meeting and General Membership Meeting was taken up with discussion of the many and frustrating shortcomings of HFCC's Web Advisor software program. Among the concern s expressed were: difficulty in accessing the program to file grades and acquire class lists, the excessive amount of time required to enter data, and the aggravation of being timed-out of the program while doing so.
Of equal concern were the frustrations that thousands of students must be experiencing with the program, if 200 faculty are so frustrated by it. Faculty questioned how many students have been lost, and how much revenue has been lost, due to the time-consuming difficulty in accessing and using the system. Faculty also expressed dissatisfaction with the Registrar's Office. When asked by teachers to accept and process hard copies of grades because Web Advisor was inaccessible, they were reportedly told that the Office "could but wouldn't" do so.
Faculty recently received correspondence from College Controller, Marge Swan, apologizing for the system's frustrating shortcomings and indicating that the Administration is engaged in remedying its problems.
When the Federation conveyed faculty concerns to Mr. Sandro Silvestri, Director of Data and Voice, he acknowledged that the current software is "lousy." Mr. Silvestri reported that, following the lead of other colleges plagued with Web Advisor problems, HFCC has installed a modified server, which has reduced delays in accessing and using the system, and remedied the problem of being timed out. Mr. Silvestri emphasized that this was only a partial and temporary solution. By next spring, the College hopes to have a BETA version of Web Advisor 3 in place, which will process data far more quickly and will afford faculty separate access to the system, particularly important when students are swamping the system.
In the meantime, the Federation asks faculty to list and forward to the Union their problems with Web Advisor and improvements that should be made to the system. The Union will then pursue the matter further with the College Administration.
Faculty are also encouraged to forward such information to the College Senate. Each Division is urged, as well, to place Web Advisor on the agenda of the Division's next meeting and forward a summary of their frustrations and suggestions regarding Web Advisor to their respective College Vice-presidents, with copies to Dr. Mazzara.
John
McDonald
1650 WELCOMES NEW TEACHERS
In what's become a startling but quite happy trend, Local 1650 warmly welcomed several more new teachers this winter: Corinne Asher, Business/Economics; Deborah Lyons, Nursing; Jared Boyd, Business/Economics; Michael Palaski, Science; Cheryl Garrett, Science; Cynthia Scheuer, Health Careers
At an orientation session on
January 19, new teachers met and socialized with members of the Local 1650
Executive Board. Over refreshments, President John McDonald provided an
overview of the Local's role on campus and in the Dearborn community and
described key features of the Local 1650 contract. The new teachers were
encouraged to become active in Local 1650, by attending the monthly
membership meetings or by joining one of the Federation committees.
1650 SEEKS INPUT ON EVALUATION FORMS
Believe it or not, our huge stock
of Scantrons used for evaluating instruction in our classes has dwindled to
the point of reordering! Recently, you should have received in the mail a
memo from John McDonald soliciting your suggestions for revision; the
instructional evaluation form currently in use should have been attached to
that memo. The Executive Board would be grateful if you would review the
form and forward any revision suggestions to John McDonald at the Local 1650
office (A-201) by February 1. The Executive Board will consider all
suggestions and then make a report at the General Membership meeting.
MFT&SRP LOBBY DAY
The MFT&SRP will hold its annual Lobby Day on Tuesday, April 19, in Lansing. This event provides an opportunity for teachers and support personnel to have lunch with their State legislators and discuss concerns regarding education funding, pension benefits, and other policy matters. MFT&SRP will provide information regarding pressing legislative issues to participants prior to the luncheon.
HFCC teachers may wish to consider
taking a personnel business day to attend this important event. If
sufficient numbers of HFCC teachers are interested in participating, car
pools can be arranged. Please call the Union office (x9666) to register for
the MFT&SRP's Lobby Day.
RCC LOBBY DAY
The Retirement Coordinating Council (RCC), has also scheduled a Lobby Day on Wednesday, February 16, in Lansing. RCC is our lobbying organization dedicated to monitoring our State retirement system, MPSERS, and enhancing the pension and health benefits of Michigan's retired educational employees.
This lobbying event is structured
around scheduled meetings with State legislators. Materials and guidance
will be provided to those participating prior to their meeting with
legislators on February 16. If you can participate in the RCC's legislative
effort, please notify the Local 1650 Office (x9666), and the Federation will
register you with the RCC.
AFL-CIO LAUNCHES NEW WEB SITE
Are you curious about how Local
1650 fits into the broader labor union movement? If so, you might find a new
AFL-CIO Web site worth visiting. Through this site, the AFL-CIO aims to keep
affiliates such as us up to date on recent proposals made by union members
nationwide, to highlight key union issues, and to solicit input. An e-mail
inviting visits to the site notes, "Union membership is the best
opportunity to improve working and living conditions for working families,
but unions are up against massive obstacles that block our growth. Today's
unions are asking the hard questions: How should we strengthen our movement
for the future? What will it take to give working families the power we need
to counter corporate power? And what will it take for the union movement to
grow?" If you're interested in the AFL-CIO's take on such issues and
sharing your views, go to www.aflcio.org/ourfuture.
1650 MEETS AND EATS: BUDDY'S PIZZA EXTRAVAGANZA
Whether you are new to the College or a seasoned veteran looking to reconnect with old friends or learn new names and faces, you will find the upcoming Friday afternoon Pizza Extravaganza just the thing to smooth the edges of another new semester. Please join us for pizza, salad, beverages, and good conversation on Friday, February 25, at Buddy's Pizza, 22148 Michigan Avenue in west Dearborn. Stop in any time between 2:30 and 5:00, and look for the most jocular crowd - that will be us!
NEXT LOCAL 1650 GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 3:10 P.M.
LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED.