Colleagues,
1) Retro Payment –For those eligible, your first of two retro payments was posted today. If there is a problem with your retro or you have any questions, YOUR FIRST CALL/EMAIL needs to be to your employer the NPS. There are a variety of things that could have an impact on the amount, including longevity, withholding of increments, unpaid leaves, increment start date (either Feb or Sept), etc. The NTU has no way of tracking down each member’s individual reason why their retro may not be what they expected.
You can reach out to the NPS Contact Center at 973-733-7333 or you can use the attached Employee Inquiry Form. You can also fax “Attention: Larissa Shambaugh” @ 973-733-8568.
If you are not satisfied with their response, reach out to contract@newarkteachersunion.com so we can address this further.
2) AN INJURY TO ONE, IS AN INJURY TO ALL - As you may have heard, Merit Prep Charter School closed down this year. The staff at that school were supposed to be paid until August, but the group that runs this charter (Matchbook Learning) is refusing to pay them for July and August. We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters at Merit Prep. Please click here to send a letter to the state urging them to help ensure the staff is paid what they are owed!
3) CALENDAR SY17/18 & FMLA – Important! Because of the district’s change to the school calendar and refusal to address this issue, it is imperative that you recertify any existing Family Medical Leave forms to reflect the new start date of August 28, 2017. Recertifications require a doctor’s note or letter, providing diagnosis, prognosis and reason for extension be delivered to the NPS AOS offices (always keep a copy for your records). This will protect you from AIP & Evaluation consequences.
Equally important, Shambaugh/Cerf’s lack of concern for their employees may have created a need for certain employees to file for FMLA protections…i.e.…new FMLA’s
Example: the teacher who has a seriously ill mother whose regular caregiver is away until September. That teacher must now become the caretaker for her mom pending the return of the regular caregiver—that teacher must now apply for an FMLA.
Example: the clerk who planned surgery and recovery for July & August —that clerk must now apply for an FMLA.
Please refer to this Fact Sheet “Qualifying Reasons for Leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act” for further assistance in determining whether the districts lack of concern for you has created a situation that now requires you filing for an FMLA. https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28f.pdf