From: Pmarkunas@aol.com
Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2003
Subject: Latest Status Report on Contracts Funding

The Contract Action Campaign is entering a critical phase and we must be ready to act!

Your efforts thus far have had a significant impact. Phone calls, letters, postcards, e-mails and lobbying by higher ed and K-12 members and MTA staff helped ensure favorable action by the Public Service committee, which voted unanimously October 30 to support H2153, a bill to fund the higher education contracts. [See story, http://massteacher.org/contract/news_2003-11-01.cfm]

Lobby Day, October 22, saw hundreds of higher ed activists descend on Beacon Hill to urge their legislators to support contract funding. [See story, http://www.massteacher.org/contract/news_2003-10-22.cfm]

And the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation has signed letters in support of funding the contracts. Senator Kerry spearheaded the effort to collect the signatures. He and Senator Kennedy signed a letter that was also signed by Congressmen Delahunt, Frank, Lynch, McGovern, Meehan, Neal, Olver and Tierney. Congressmen Capuano and Markey sent separate letters.

Kudos to all who have worked so hard and persistently to get the contracts funded. Your actions have made a difference. Now it's time for the final push!

The focus moves next to the House Ways and Means committee. (Watch massteacher.org and your mailbox for continuing coverage and action alerts.)

If the full Legislature passes a funding bill, it will be important to mobilize your members to call or e-mail the governor immediately and ask him to sign the funding for the higher education contracts. Once the bill passes, MTA will be priority-mailing the same message to all 97,000 members to elicit as many calls and e-mails as possible.

Meanwhile, members, friends and neighbors can continue to join the virtual lobbying effort and send an e-mail message to their state representative and senator. [Click on http://capwiz.com/nea/ma/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=3662511 to send a message.]