Month: October 2022

The NYS Office of Employee Relations has again agreed to suspend the January 1 40-day vacation credit cap contained in Article 23.2(d) of the 2016-2022 State/UUP Agreement.   As you will recall, two similar prior agreements suspended the January 1, 2021 and January 1, 2022 40 day vacation caps    This agreement, which suspends the vacation cap for one more year will provide our members who earn vacation credits and who are currently carrying more than 40 days of vacation an additional year, and much needed flexibility, to exhaust excess vacation leave which they have been unable to use during the pandemic and which they currently have accrued.   

The text of our newest agreement reads as follows:

This will confirm our agreement regarding expiration of vacation leave accruals.

1.       Vacation leave accruals subject to our last MOA dated October 22, 2021 (which extended the deadline to December 31, 2022), may now be carried by employees through December 31, 2023.

2.       Vacation leave accruals earned between January 1 and December 31, 2022, that would otherwise expire at close of business on December 31, 2022, may also be carried by employees through December 31, 2023.

3.       Employees shall be permitted to accrue vacation leave in excess of the contractual maximum until the close of business on December 31, 2023. Thereafter, forfeiture of vacation leave accruals shall be governed by the operative language from the applicable collective bargaining agreement between the parties.

4.       All other conditions set forth in our last MOA remain in effect.

Just in from SUNY Empire:

The Flex Spending Account (FSA) Open Enrollment Campaign for the 2023 plan year begins November 1 and ends December 12, 2022 at 11:59 pm ET.  This deadline is strictly enforced.  If you are enrolled for the 2022 plan year, you must re-enroll to continue your benefits in 2023. 

The FSA program consists of three important benefits for employees:

• the Health Care Spending Account (HCSA – for at least half-time, annually paid employees only)
• the Dependent Care Advantage Account (DCAA)
• the Adoption Advantage Account

Eligible employees may choose to enroll in any or all of the accounts. This flyer includes additional information about eligibility and the available accounts.  Please note, if you become inactive on payroll, your enrollment in the FSA is automatically discontinued and it is your responsibility to re-enroll when you return to active status.

To enroll, submit your application online here or by telephone at 1-800-358-7202.  You will need your NYS Employee ID number, located on your paystub, to complete your application.

For questions, or more information, please call 800-358-7202 or e-mail fsa@oer.ny.gov or visit oer.ny.gov/FSA

From Fred Kowal:

On Wednesday, November 2nd at 6pm labor unions and supporters from across the Capital Region will rally at the Albany Labor Temple in support of Gov. Kathy Hochul, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and the rest of the slate of candidates endorsed by UUP and NYSUT. This is a critical election for our members. We have developed a strong and productive relationship with the Governor and her team. In the final stretch we must show up, speak up, and vote.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UR_w6qIDMnbf5Zmy5kyPs-rDLbrTeLX0HWeeYXqh85g/edit

Please wear your UUP red! If you need a UUP t-shirt, please email Celine Mell at cmell@uupmail.org to coordinate.

Hope to see you there!

Good Afternoon…

The NYSUT Social Justice Department invites you to participate in a workshop from NYSUT’s Many Threads, One Fabric. This training is titled “Sticks & Stones: Understanding Implicit Bias & Stereotypes.”

The workshop will be held virtually on Saturday, October 29, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Breaks will be provided) Participants will explore the meaning of implicit and explicit bias as well as discover ways to confront and combat the bias within ourselves and others.

The purpose is to empower our members in raising awareness of the role that implicit bias plays in our classrooms, the education system, and the impact it has on our students, families and colleagues.

You must register for the workshop using the link below, by or before Close of Business on October 27, 2022.  

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: Oct 29, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://nysut.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJckdOiupjotGdyqmNaBnPtJ_1u8da5QE5R2

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

In solidarity,

Philippe

J. Philippe Abraham

He, Him, El

Secretary-Treasurer, NYSUT