Talking Points of MSCA Contract Funding (10/4/01)
Arline Isaacson of the MTA

Please call your state legislators with the following message:

1) Please fund (H4148) the contract for the state college faculty and professional librarians (MSCA ).

2) The contract was filed in the House in May. The Senate included the contract funding in its version of the deficiency budget, but the House did not.

3) This contract represents 3 years of intensive negotiations.

4) State college faculty salaries are not competitive in the national academic job market. The raises in this contract will help the state colleges compete for talent.

5) The state college's educate over 41,000 students per year. The overwhelming majority of our students are residents of Massachusetts or decide to remain in this state after they graduate. They contribute to the economic lifeblood of the Massachusetts economy as workers and taxpayers.

6) If your legislators say they support funding your contract, ask them specifically to speak with their legislative leaders- For House members: Speaker Finneran and House Ways & Means Chair John Rogers; For Senators: Senate President Tom Birmingham and Senate Ways & Means Chair Mark Montign. They should urge their legislative leaders to fund the contracts this fall.