Salem Chapter Newsletter President's Message - Amy Everitt - January 2010

I hope this finds you back to campus having enjoyed a nice winter break.

First, we will be holding an election tomorrow (Wednesday, January 27) to fill a vacated seat on the Promotions Committee. Please vote at the Union Office, South Campus lobby, Central Campus main entrance or O'Keefe Center #119 between the hours of 12 and 2. Dates for evaluations will be pushed out so that the new committee member will have time to read materials.

Contract update: As of today, funding for our contract has still not been acted on by the legislation. As you all know, we have been asked to consider re-opening our contract. C.J. O'Donnell has met with management and requested responses to an extensive list of questions and concerns. The next MSCA Board of Director's meeting is Friday February 5. Assuming that our questions have been answered, I anticipate that a decision will be made at that time. Thank you to everyone who responded about this situation and I am still requesting comments to be shared at the board meeting. I will share any information I have as it becomes available.

DGCE Contract: The DGCE contract has been ratified. Part of the agreement includes changing the pay schedule to 3 times per semester. The dates for payment will be March 5, April 30 and May 14. Dates for the fall have not been determined.

Ethics Commission: We have all received information from our Human Resources Office regarding the new State Ethics laws. Every faculty member, including adjuncts, will be expected to complete the Ethics Commission exam/survey. It is impossible to fail the "exam" but it must be completed! For further information, please contact Human Resources directly.

Finally, this is an election year for our local union offices and Executive Board. I encourage you to consider running for a seat! Information regarding responsibilities for the various positions can be found in the Chapter by-laws located on our web site or in the Chapter office. I would be happy to discuss these opportunities with you, so please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested in becoming more involved on campus.

Have a great week,

Amy Everitt
MSCA/Salem Chapter President