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A&R's Social Committee pulled off a miracle of their own this year. In keeping with longstanding tradition, and despite the pandemic, A&R held it's annual Holiday Party at the Aqua Turf! This year, 2020, was a lot different than most - and our party was different too. For one thing - Santa and his elves were in attendance! A&R members were able to safely gather (truth is there was no gathering) to enjoy fun, friendship, solidarity, and holiday cheer. Social distancing was achieved, with members lining up in their cars to safely attend the roll-through party, one car at a time. Games were played, prizes awarded, and all to the sound of holiday music!
Thank you to all who attended. A special thank you to all the volunteers who made this event possible...and thank you to all the A&R members who donated toys in support of the United Labor Agency's Toys for Tots program.
We hope you enjoy the holiday season!!!!
Click on the link below to see photos from the 2020 Holiday Party
https://photos.app.goo.gl/L3bndyVPvLkmamHM9
Winners of the Baskets:
Wine Basket - Ana Rybka
Coffee Basket - Shiela Rittman
Lotto Frame - Lakiya White-Moore
Man Basket - Mike Kordowski
Comfort Basket - Tawny Pho
Italian Basket - Lisa Marie Cavaliere
Quarantine Basket - Jessica Silva
Winter - Noelle Bisson
The Winner of the 65" TV: Mark Burno
We are excited to announce two information sessions coming up to discuss the legislative session and to formulate our legislative agenda. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard as an AFT lobbyist will be on the call noting your concerns and ideas.
The sessions will occur on Thursday, December 17th at 12pm-1pm and 5pm-6pm over Zoom.
If you plan to participate, please RSVP by sending an email to MEunited@aftct.org.
The pandemic has changed everything about education, and that includes how educators can connect with one another.
To combat these new communication challenges, Education Minnesota will work to help your local identify its needs and recreate communication channels and digital meeting spaces in the socially distanced 21st century world.
Registration for the A&R Holiday Party Has Closed.
For those attending, you will recieve a confirmation letter in the mail, you don't need to bring anything with you, we will hand you everything you need when you arrive...see you at the Aquaturf on Friday 12/4!
Half-Day Rule
Every time A&R hosts a holiday party or picnic, we have some agencies who don't quite understand the "1/2 day" language in our contract (which is amazing b/c we hold 3 events a year every year yet every time we have at least one agency who suddenly decides they can't understand the words "half day"), so here is what the State and A&R have agreed to:
A half day is half of your scheduled hours for that day...if you have a 9hr day, that would be 4.5 hrs of LPRTY time, if you have a 6hr day scheduled then you get 3hrs of LPRTY. Then there is "pure flex"...if you're on pure flex, then you get 4hrs (we pretend it is a regular 8hr day). So the other 4 hours for that day can be made up in any manner you wish.
Further, if the Party/Picnic falls on your scheduled day off, you can adjust your schedule for that week to make the day of the Party/Picnic a work day and therefore utilize your LPRTY time for that day.
Lastly, yes, of course you can take accrued time or PL in the morning of a Party/Picnic (not sure where this myth was created, but you certainly can take accrued time on the same day as the Party/Picnic).
Legal action prompted the University of Maine System on Nov. 20 to pause its plans to shift retirees to a new health-care insurance regime starting Jan. 1, 2021. Bangor Daily News story: https://bangordailynews.com/2020/11/19/news/umaine-system-halts-switch-to-new-retiree-health-plan-after-lawsuit/?order=9
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