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H.T.A. Newsletter
H.T.A.is here for you because you deserve
the best.
Approved for publication by James Pace, HTA President, 3/15/04
Volume 4 - Issue 3 - March 2004
HTA/CTA/NEA
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Executive Board
Jim Pace
President
Gordon Williamson
Vice-President
Jose Madera
Treasurer
Claudia Ethun
Secretary
Vernon Johns
Secondary Director
Scott Johnson
Elementary Director
Jeanne Triska
Director At Large
Rep Council
Layne Chan
Pat Cook
Shelley Delang
Jim Garrett
Susan Gilman
Ralph Heller
Debbie Herndon
Kristina Holmes
Patty Liggett
Gerald Marrs
Jackie Marsh
Harvey Miller
Kathryn Mustain
Chris Pierce
Yolette Rios
Christine Robinson
Cheryl Rutledge
Lee Samuels
Steve Thompson
Richard Westerhoff
Gordon Williamson
Membership Chair
Barbara Bailey
Grievance Co-Chairs
Jim Garrett
Dick Westerhoff
SCSEBA Labor Rep
Heather Glenn
Newsletter Editor
Fran McCullough
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ARE WE ON THE RIGHT TRACK?
President's Message
By Jim Pace, H.T.A President
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Over the past years we have seen our salaries and benefits erode. Last month we had a chart that compared our salaries with others in San Bernardino County. This month, you can see a chart below that estimates that our monthly contributions will continue to increase. The District, has proposed to continue to cap our medical benefits for another three years. If they get their way, it will have a significant negative impact on our salary.
In addition, we have seen cuts to classroom programs (kindergarten CSR) and dramatic increase in class size which is having a negative impact on our students. We have 21 fewer teachers than last year and 700 more students.
The district needs a budget that reflects educational priorities. We need a salary and benefit plan that will keep and attract good teachers and we need class sizes that will enable us to remain effective.
Over the next several weeks the HTA leadership will be conducting site visits. Please come and let us know how you feel about this situation. We need your input so that we can decide together how to solve these problems.
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UPDATE:
You can read past issues of the HTA Newsletters on line at www.hesperiateachers.com
From www.hesperiateachers.com, select "insurance" to go directly to the web sites for Blue Shield, Delta Dental, Pacific Care, Express Scripts or MES.
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BY The #'s
By Jose Madera
HTA Treasurer/Director HDIEET
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The percent increase for our medical next year will be a little under 12.5%, according to the High Desert Inland Employee Employer Trust (HDIEET). The percent increases for our dental, vision, and life were not available from Southern California Schools Employee Benefits Association (SCSEBA).
If we use the 12.5% and apply that increase to our entire benefits package, i.e., $8277.70 (look at your pay stub), the approximate future out-of-pocket expenses on a tenthly basis using the district's proposed cap of $7878 are as follows:
| 2004-2005 | 2005-2006 | 2006-2007 |
| $143.44/month | $259.85/month | $390.80/month |
What does this mean in terms of salary? In our present No-COLA and COLA-Minus era, it will mean that you'll be taking a percentage cut for the next three years. In the last newsletter I gave you the low, average, and high salaries for HUSD as reported by the California Department of Education.
2003-2004
Salary | 2004-2005 | 2005-2006 | 2006-2007 |
| $35,326 | 4.1% cut | 7.4% | 11.1% cut |
| $53,529 | 2.7% cut | 4.9% | 7.3% cut |
| $70,653 | 2.0% cut | 3.7% | 5.5% cut |
Even calculating a 2% COLA increase for each of the last two years changes the percentages by only about 0.5%. If the district gets their way, your total out-of-pocket for the 2006-2007 year will be $3908.
We're going backwards!
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SECRETARY'S REPORT
By Claudia Ethun
HTA Secretary
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Following is the Secretary's Report from the February Rep. Council Mtg. The
next Rep. Council Meeting is April 22, 2004.
John Kohn, CTA Staff Attorney, spoke about individual members' rights
regarding disciplinary issues and performance evaluation procedures.
Lee Samuels spoke about the CTA Pre-School Initiative for the November
ballot. Petitions are circulating and need to be signed.
Propositions 55,56,57,58 were discussed by Donna Jefferson and the need for
their passage in the March election.
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Heather Glenn from HJH will be our new SCSEBA representative for vision and
dental care.
HTA E-Bd. will be doing site visits in March and April to acquaint
themselves with members and to listen to members' concerns. Site visit
dates were scheduled.
Three E-Bd. positions, Secondary Director, Elementary Director, and
Director-At-Large, are up for election between April 22 - May 3. Contact
Barbara Baily at Limestreet Elem. School if you are interested in running
for one of these positions.
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DID YOU KNOW?
By Jeanne Triska
HTA Director At Large
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PacifiCare Employee Assistance Care
PacifiCare Behavioral Health is there to help. They can help you find assistance in emotional well-being, work issues, parenting and child care, legal assistance, money management, substance abuse & recovery, and resources for seniors. Access you EAP any time by calling WORK LIFE (800) 628-5437 or visit http://www.pbhi.com/ (username: your company's assigned name, password: help.
I called them during the week off to inquire about colleges for my son. PacifiCare told me that they couldn't do anything to help (so I called Lisa Stanson.) She contacted PacifiCare and now I am passing the correct number on to you. Call (800) 628-5437 to help relieve some of your everyday stress. They are able to schedule doctor's appointments, find a lawyer, or do other research to help you or your family.
Need To Sharpen Your Focus? Get Organized
In today's workplace, where multitasking and a busy schedule are now part of the landscape, it's a challenge to get organized and stay that way. Commonly, when people are disorganized, they feel overwhelmed and out of control, which eventually hampers their ability to accomplish what needs to be done. Understanding how to get organized is critical to maintaining high productivity, keeping a sharp focus on your most important job responsibilities, and controlling your stress level.
Need a few solid pointers to help you stay on track? Get started with these ideas:
Plan Your Day
Organization begins by knowing what you're going to tackle each day. At the end of each workday, write a "To Do" list, prioritizing your activities for the following day.
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But don't block off all your time. Be available for emergencies and special opportunities. And give yourself time to think. Prioritize each item in numeric order, and check it off as you complete it.
Maintain just one calendar, and write in both business and personal obligations and appointments. (Consider buying a daily planner to keep your To Do lists and calendar in one place.)
Manage Paperwork
When paper crosses your desk, try to deal with it immediately. If your paperwork requires more time, actually schedule time to deal with it. Do something with every piece of paper that reaches you-don't just create an unorganized pile of paper. Try to reduce the number of reports, memos, recommendations, responses, etc., that you keep. Don't keep everything because you fear you may need to "cover yourself." Keep only papers you think you'll need to refer to in the future. And file everything in labeled folders. If you are proactive in getting organized, it will save you time in the long run.
"You've Got Mail"
Business mail never stops. When opening your mail, deal with it as soon as possible. Throw out junk mail immediately. File promotional mail from vendors. If there are short letters you need to write in response to mail, write them immediately. Urgent business correspondence should be handled the day you receive it.
If you feel stressed and need help, take advantage of your Employee Assistance Program or seek other professional help.
Taken from PacificCare Behavioral Health website
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