Colleagues,
1) THE NTU IN TRANSITION - Your NTU continues to develop the NTU TRANSITION PLAN and is currently focusing on a Building Rep Committee Plan. It was introduced to the Executive Board and Building Reps that attended their monthly NTU Building Rep Meeting and widely supported. If you are interested in hearing about this plan, ask your Building Rep. For Executive Board and Building Rep meeting dates, see the NTU website.
2 ) Health Benefits Contribution: A few members reached out to us to say their health benefits contribution went up on their paystub. Unfortunately, over the last several years, there have been huge increases to the premium rates’ every January. Under NJ law, we pay a percentage of the premium, so when the premium goes up, so does our contribution.
Statewide, teachers’ premiums went up by 13% this year.
With the district getting out of the School Employees' Health Benefits Program and the changes we negotiated in our current contract, we lowered the cost of our premiums and managed to keep the increase far smaller than the state, but there still was an increase from where we were in December.
3) New Tax Rate – The NPS has confirmed that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act IRS changes will be reflected in payroll checks starting this week. To determine if you received an increase or reduction in your federal taxes please compare your pay check with your previous check.
As always, if you believe there is a problem with your paycheck today, please fill out and submit the attached Employee Inquiry Form to NPS. Completed forms are to be forwarded to: npscc1@nps.k12.nj.us. You can also email Mike Maillaro at mmaillaro@
4) Special Education Assistance - The NTU has an email set up for members to get assistance with special education questions and issues: NTUSpEd@NewarkTeachersunion.co
5) TEACHER, AIDE, CLERK ALERT - Unfounded child abuse allegations have exploded against Newark staff in recent weeks by parents and students. Tenure charges and non-tenured teacher terminations follow as well as civil service teacher aide discipline and terminations.
Extreme cautionary measures must be followed and discussed by staff and building reps and committees in light of constant and contagious student verbalization to have staff removed and fired. If you have any questions, please reach out to NTU's General Counsel Eugene Liss 973-890-1819.
6) The JANUS DECISION - The NTU, and every union across the country is anticipating a decision by the US Supreme Court within the next two months on theJANUS v AFSCME case (The JANUS case). This case is another attack on Unions of every kind and its decision may have IMMEDIATE ramifications. We are cooperating with our State and National unions to develop a plan of action should the decision come down against unions. Now more than ever, we must remain UNION STRONG and UNITED
7) BLACK LIVES MATTER WEEK OF ACTION - February 5th to February 10th is BLACK LIVES MATTER WEEK OF ACTION.
The NTU Committee for Community Engagement and Social Justice wrote and presented to the NTU Exec Board on 1/17 a Resolution of Support. Having been passed by the NTU Executive Board, it was presented to the NPS Board of Education on 1/23 and is being included herein. In support of the initiative, on our website Newark.nj.aft.org, next week, we will include additional links to supplemental materials for use in some classrooms.