Please Contact Your State Representative

April 19, 2016

Dear MSCA faculty and librarians,

The Massachusetts House of representatives has released its draft of the FY 2017 budget.  The MSCA is asking you to contact your State Representative and have them support two amendments to the draft budget.  See the email message we are asking you to send below.

Click here to find your state Representative (look under “current elected officials” at the bottom of the page).


The message:

Dear Representative                      ,

I write today to urge you to vote in favor of two amendments to the FY 2017 House budget.  The two amendments are:

Amendment #1306 (filed by Rep. Mark) – “Collective Bargaining Agreement,” and

Amendment #877 (filed by Rep. Pignatelli) – “Public Higher Education FY17 Collective Bargaining Funding.”

Amendment 1306 would increase campus line items by the amount necessary to fully fund the collective bargaining agreements negotiated by the Board of Higher Education two years ago.  The proposed line item amounts do not include the FY17 costs or the roll over amounts for the prior two fiscal years.  In essence, the Commonwealth negotiated the salary increases but then left the bill for the state universities and community colleges.  Increasing the line items would allow the colleges and universities to free up institutional funds for student fee relief, scholarships, maintenance, and reducing the over-reliance on part-time faculty.

Amendment 877 would make available reserve accounts so that any collective bargaining agreements agreed to and ratified during FY17 could be funded much more quickly rather than requiring a supplemental appropriation.  Such reserves have been included in prior fiscal years and is a fiscally sound way to plan.

Sincerely,
NAME
ADDRESS
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