First, be sure to check out our Political Action updates for the week. These include State Senate amendments to fully fund our schools (please take a moment to call or email your local legislator!), the upcoming candidate forums, and much more. Take a moment to get informed and take action today! We need your voice to get the sustainable funding we need for our students and schools beyond the short-term federal assistance.
Second, this has been a challenging year. Come unwind with us at the BTU End of Year celebration on June 12, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year, instead of having our event at the BTU hall, we will be hosting the party at Franklin Park. The theme is “collective care,” and we will have chair massages! Learn more and be sure to register in advanceby June 1. Registration is required to attend the event and for planning purposes.BTU election ballots are out, and your vote is needed! Our union elections occur every two years and are critical to the democracy of our union. We encourage all members to participate in this year’s BTU election. See here for more information on how to vote by mail or in person, as well as for in-person voting protocols. Please remember that mail-in ballots must be *received* by June 1.
A reminder that in addition to our union election, Building Rep elections will be taking place in May, as well as the Jan 3 PD vote.
Once you have conducted your election, please fill out the 2021-22 Building Rep Election form. As a reminder, please see the guidelines from the BR Handbook on rules and regulations to follow as these votes are cast. Please remember that those running for Building Rep should not be facilitating the vote. Voting for Building Reps can take place either or in-person or electronically like last spring. If you have any questions, please reach out to an organizer. Additionally, in order to receive a 2021 Building Rep stipend, we need to have a W9 form on file. If you were a rep last year and sent one to us, you do not need to send another one. Please click here to get the form and forward it to a BTU admin staff member.We now have two new BTU member benefits! Please see information on new financial benefits and accessing the prepaid legal benefit online.
Lastly, the Governor announced new mask mandates in response to the new CDC Guidance. In summary, beginning May 18, K-12 students participating in outdoor recess will not need to be masked, no masks will be needed for outdoor sports, and students in K-12 will have no restrictions on sharing items. However, masks will continue to be required in K-12 schools inside the buildings for students and staff. See the full press release here.
Reminder: Do we have your correct mailing address on file? It is important to us that we are able to reach all of our members by phone, mail or email. Please check here to make sure we have your correct information.