Last Week in the EPEA
Keeping members informed and engaged ... Feb. 1, 2018
Government Relations Position
Meeting with Jennifer Loon
Union Mortgage Benefits
Health Insurance Committee
EPEA Representatives for NEA RA and Ed MN Rep Convention
We will vote for these delegates on March 8 at sites. Ask a rep if you have questions.
Send the following to Tom Baker by February 28:
Name, email, phone, if you are a first time delegate y/n?, if you identify as person of color y/n? , if you want to go green (no printed materials) y/n? and your interest in staying over night y/n?
EPEA Executive Board Nominations
Janus Update - Potential Union Threats / Precautions
The following excerpt comes from our state president Denise Specht - I thought I'd relay that message directly to you.
Preparing for potential attacks in 2018
As we begin 2018 and start looking ahead to the future of our profession and working families, I'd like to remind you of some of the potential threats we'll face over the coming months. This information should be shared with your members wherever and whenever you feel it's appropriate.
As you know, because of the pending Janus vs AFSCME U.S. Supreme Court case, many believe it's not a question of if Minnesota becomes a so-called right-to-work state, but when. Sometime this year - probably around June - we expect a 5-4 ruling saying public sector unions can no longer charge employees for their share of the cost of collective bargaining. It will be "right to work" via the courts.
Destabilizing unions is exactly the point of the Janus lawsuit and many others pending around the country.
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation represents Mark Janus, the plaintiff. This organization and others like it are part of a network helmed by Charles and David Koch, the notorious Koch brothers. The tactics of these groups are becoming familiar.
A recent example: Over the holidays in the state of Washington, the Koch-funded, anti-union Freedom Foundation contacted WEA members to drop union membership. They sent mailers to many members' homes and even knocked on members' doors. Our members can expect the same and more over the course of the next year:
- Koch brothers-funded think tanks will produce "research" bashing unions.
- Local reporters will write news stories about that research.
- Conservative editorial writers will repeat the conclusions and tell lawmakers to act now.
- Advocacy groups will spring up overnight. They will have million-dollar budgets to buy television ads with flashing quotes from those newspaper editorials about "bad unions."
- Strange attack ads will appear on the internet browsers of our members.
Even our local EP paper a few weeks back published an article by a Center of the American Experiment writer claiming Ed Mn is tricking members into member renewal as part of our member engagement effort.
It’s true we are trying to engage members to protect our union ... no tricks!
PD ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Annual EPEA Dues
EPEA Social Media
Your Reps
Allen Lundberg, Vice President
Adam Cooke, Treasurer
Stephanie Baker, Secretary
Email: tom_baker@edenpr.org
Website: http://cedar-wmu.edenpr.org/epea
Phone: 952-975-8808
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/epeateachers
Twitter: @epea_teachers