September 22, 2001

Dear Colleagues:

We have reliable reports that another supplemental budget request will be considered soon. The MSCA contract funding will, once again, be part of that mix. MTA is preparing a mass mailing to our membership to urge them to contact their state representatives concerning the contract's funding.

John Rogers and Tom Finneran are key in getting our contract included this time. Calls from one hundred different representatives to Rogers and Finneran will have much more influence than 100 calls from the MTA lobbyists or the MSCA officers.

In addition, I have called upon BHE Chair Steve Tocco to fulfill his promise of last spring to lobby with us to get the contract funded. He said publicly that he would, and I am following up to make sure that joint labor-management meetings with the Speaker and the Senate President take place. I plan to go to Boston - as I did every week this summer - on Tuesday to keep up the work on this issue.

I appreciate all that the membership has done in terms of contacting their representatives -- your efforts are crucial. Any member who wishes to know what I have been doing regarding the contract funding can contact me directly at any time at my office (978-542-7282) or my email address (Pmarkunas@aol.com).

I also appreciate what the chapter presidents have done in urging the membership to lobby the contract funding early. I know that some people think we should just wait until December, when the FY 2002 budget will be finalized. That is not my feeling or, I would guess, the feeling of the great majority of the membership. Consequently, I will continue to work with the MSCA, the MTA, the COP, the BHE, and anyone else who sees this issue as a priority.

Pat Markunas
MSCA President

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