August 24, 2007
Dear MSCA Faculty and Librarians:
Two bills that are important to part-time faculty have been reported out favorably by the Public Service Committee and await action in the separate Ways & Means Committees of the General Court. It is important that each of us contact our legislators to support these bills. The proposed legislation would provide part-time faculty with pension and health insurance opportunities comparable to those of full-time colleagues across the Commonwealth.
See below the details on each bill and the related contact information for your legislators. An email, personal note, or a phone call is appropriate to communicate your message - or use any combination thereof. If you call and cannot speak directly with your legislators, be sure to talk with the legislative aides; they are well-informed and will communicate your messages. Emphasize that part-time faculty teach a considerable percentage of courses on our campuses and merit the important safety nets that these bills would provide.
Action requested on Adjunct Health Insurance Bill: SB 1587
Contact your State Senator and ask him/her to support this opportunity for a comprehensive and affordable insurance plan for our adjuncts. Note that the new Commonwealth Connector insurance plan for these employees would be far more expensive for most interested and eligible part-time faculty and is not as comprehensive as those to which their peers subscribe. If your Senator isso inclined, please request him/her to contact the Chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee, Steven Panagiotakos, and other Senators on this Committee to urge their support. If your Senator is on this Committee, it would be especially important to for you to contact him/her to support this bill so that it might move forward to the Senate floor for further action.
Action requested on Adjunct Pension Bill: HB 2821
his bill allows part-time faculty who teach the equivalent of four 3-credit courses per calendar year in the state higher education system to earn a year of creditable service for each year of such teaching experience. House Bill 2821 has been reported out favorably by the Public Service Committee and has been referred to the House Ways & Means Committee for their review. If reported on favorably, the bill would then be sent to the entire House for further review and a possible vote.
How can you help?
Senators: http://www.mass.gov/legis/memmenus.htm Representatives: http://www.mass.gov/legis/memmenuh.htm If you don't know who your Massachusetts state reps or senators are, you can get that information at http://wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php
Thank you for your support of these important bills.
Pat Markunas MSCA President
(Thanks to Donnie McGee of the MCCC for putting together this call for action.)
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