Week of February 13, 2023
Negotiations Updates
Secretary Contract Ratification Meeting Scheduled
The Secretary Negotiations Teams reached a tentative agreement with the Board of Education on Tuesday, February 7th. Â
All members of Unit C - Secretaries are invited to attend the Contract Ratification Meeting on Monday, February 20th starting at 4:30pm in the Nashua High School North Library/Media Center. Details about contract language changes, the four year financial package, and the tentative ratification process will be discussed.
Information about all of the changes including the financial information will be sent out to members prior to the meeting on the 20th.Â
Paraeducator Negotiations Update
The Paraeducator Negotiations Team met on Wednesday, February 8th to review the survey data and talk next steps. To see the results of the survey, click here.
The Paraeducator Negotiations Team will return to the bargaining table on Wednesday, February 22nd starting at 10:00am. Information from that meeting will be released as it becomes available.
A Message from Kristi's Krew
Blood Drive Information
Wednesday, March 1st
2:00pm – 7:00pm
Nashua High School North
In late 2016, Kristi Cunha, a Special Education Teacher at Nashua High North, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that impacted her body's ability to produce healthy bone marrow. As part of her treatment, Kristi required sometimes weekly blood transfusions. She was fortunate that she rarely ever had to wait for blood to be available. However, since the start of the pandemic, the blood supply has become more strained. Kristi lost her battle with cancer in 2020, but her family keeps her legacy alive through Kristi's Krew. This year, Kristi's Krew is hosting a blood drive in collaboration with the American Red Cross of Northern New England and Nashua High North. We can tell you firsthand, blood isn't something you think about until you need it. Help us to pay it forward by joining Kristi's Krew to donate!Â
Know Your Contract
Each contract has specific language regarding the length of a duty free lunch (with a few exceptions based on the number of hours the person works). During the work day, it is expected that staff may need to use the restroom. However, none of the four contracts have language for other types of breaks throughout the day - this includes leaving the building at various points to smoke. Members are expected to follow their work schedule and are not entitled to create breaks in that schedule. If you have any questions, please contact Adam at the Union Office.
Upcoming Solidarity Day
AFT-NH Legislative Updates
In this week's addition:
Public Education is still under attack. It was another busy week of public hearings on education bills. The bills ranged from public school choice allowing attendance at any school district in the state to trans bathroom bans to book bans. Extremism by anti-education politicians was in full force this week. Those bills and many others will be voted on in committee next week and we will keep you up to date on how the committee deals with these bills.Â
Action Needed!
We need you to start today by contacting your state representatives even though the vote won’t be this week. Once you take action, please share the action with family, friends and allies. Click the following link to register your opposition to HB 464 and HB 367: CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE
It’s not too late to speak out against book banning. Say NO on HB 514.  It’s not too late to let the House Education Committee know what you think about banning books. The committee members heard some excellent testimony on the day of the hearing, most of it against the bill. They will vote in committee on that bill on Wednesday, Feb 15th.
Action Needed  Please click this link EMAIL THE HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE and tell the committee members that you oppose House Bill 514. It is particularly important that the committee hear from our members who are parents and grandparents as well as educators.
Here are a couple of reasons we oppose the bill, of course, you may have your own.
Public school students deserve to have a wide variety of books and materials available in their classrooms and school libraries to allow them to explore the world and challenge their minds.
While a parent has the right to decide what his or her own child is allowed to read, that parent doesn’t have the right to decide what every student is allowed to read. That is called censorship.
Have an idea for the Just for Fun section? Send it to Adam (president@nashuatu.org).
Laverne for the win...
Just for Fun
I may or may not have an Amazon problem. It's so easy to click buy now and then it just shows up at my house...like my new work backpack. I'm not quite sure I remember ordering it, but there it was on Monday. Now, most of you know that I can be impulsive at times, and that often means I have to drive to the store and get something right away. But if I can avoid that, I do. How about you?
Upcoming EventsÂ
- February 13th
- BOE Curriculum and Evaluation Committee, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North
- February 14th
- Happy Valentine's Day
- BOE Policy Committee, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North
- February 15th
- NTU President/Superintendent Meeting, 3:00pm, Central Office
- February 20th
- No School for Students, Presidents' Day
- In-service/Professional Development Day
- Secretary Contract Ratification Meeting, 4:30pm, Nashua High School North Library/Media Center
- BOE Human Resources Committee, 5:45pm, Nashua High School North
- Board of Education Meeting, 6:00pm, Nashua High School North
- February 21st
- Board of Directors, 4:15pm, Nashua High School North
- February 22nd
- Paraeducator Negotiations, 10:00am, via Zoom
- NTU Executive Board/Superintendent Meeting, 4:00pm, Central Office
- February 27th - March 3rd
- No School - Vacation
- Tentative Last Day of School
- Friday, June 16, 2023
