Good morning. We hope you get some time this week to enjoy family and friends.
Tomorrow our students are supposed to be able to go home by 12:30 provided permission is granted by the state. The School Department has refused to plan for this contingency, though the language has been in the contract for decades. The BTU has filed a grievance and until the grievance is resolved, we have to go along with the department’s decision. We filed a grievance last year as well, and many of our members received compensation for remaining in school beyond 12:30 with their students. We will have more of this at a later time.
The flexible spending program, a negotiated benefit, allows our members to use their pre-tax dollars, subject to IRS limitations, on a host of out-of-pocket expenses on medical, dental, dependent care and transportation and parking needs. It is easy to use and can save members up to 33% of the cost of the aforementioned expenses, depending on their tax bracket. Close to 1,000 of our members use one or more aspects of the plan, which is seamless to access.
The OPEN ENROLLMENT period is now through November 30, and enrollment can be done online. Here’s how to get more information:
- Read more about how the plan works.
- See a flyer from the vendor which manages the plan.
- See the application for enrollment.
See answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
Also, please note that the BTU is holding a meeting next Tuesday, November 29 to explain the myriad of 403b plans, also known as tax-sheltered annuity offerings. We’ll explain how the different plans work and which plans to be wary of. We will also give an overview of the public pension system. The seminar will be given by Richard Stutman and Michael McLaughlin.