A General Membership Meeting of the Scranton Federation of Teachers was held on Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 3:00 P.M. at Scranton High School.

President Rosemary Boland called the meeting to order at 3:10 P.M. Those in attendance was led in the Pledge of Allegiance by President Boland.

A motion to dispense with the reading of the Minutes was made by K. Secor and seconded by L. Kurpis. Motion carried.

A motion to dispense with the Treasurer’s Report was made by Bob Boland and seconded by M. Coyne. Motion was approved.

President Boland, at this time offered special thanks to the following for their work during the SFT’s recent contract negotiations – P. McDonough, M. Loftus, J. Gammaitoni, P. Festa, G. Mulrine, L. Babarsky, B. Chamoni, J. Chickillo and the entire Executive Committee.

President Boland gave a brief update of the status of the Paraprofessionals’ Contract negotiations. She made note that the paras needed the membership’s support in order to get their contract completed. At this time, the membership showed their support for the paraprofessionals of the Scranton School District.

At 3:30P.M., a PowerPoint Presentation began. This presentation presented all pertinent details of the tentative agreement reached between the Scranton Federation of Teachers and the Scranton School Board. In addition to the slide show, members received color coded papers addressing the following – language changes in the contract, health care plan changes, hourly rate changes and compensations for class coverage changes, salary changes, coaches’ salaries and club hours.

During this presentation, it was noted that all aspects of contract changes were presented, that overall, this was a balanced contract with a consideration for all, and attention was paid to surveys from the previous school year.

Then, a motion was made to ratify the contract by many members and seconded by many members.

President Boland announced that at this time there would be an intermission for members to review the information they had received. Secret ballot voting would be held and would end at 5:45 P.M. Finally, tabulation of the votes would take place.

The contract agreement was ratified by the membership. The official vote count for ratification was 563 Yes, 30 No, and 1 Abstention.

A motion to adjourn was made by K. Secor and seconded by many members. Meeting adjourned at 6:00 P.M.

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The Executive Committee Meeting of the Scranton Federation of Teachers was held on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 3:50P.M. The meeting was called to order by President Rosemary Boland.

Members present: R. Boland, J. Gammaitoni, D. Walter, P. Festa, P. McDonough, K. Waltz, M. Byron, V. Wojnar, A. Trapani, J. Vitris, M. Wazowicz, J. Zaleski, K. Beckwith, K. Opshinsky, A. Geiger, J. Baldauff, M. Loftus, K. Kays, G. Mulrine, M. Doran

President Boland began a COPE meeting at 3:50 P.M. Political matters were discussed at this time pertaining to the upcoming Presidential and Congressional elections. A motion to adjourn this meeting was made at 4:00 P.M. Motion was approved.

President Boland called the Executive Committee into an Executive session at 4:00 P.M.

During the rest of the regular Executive Committee meeting, the following matters were discussed:

The new 3 tier drug prices and deductible will begin November 1, 2008. This Nov.1 deductible goes until Dec. 31, 2008. A new deductible period will begin Jan. 1, 2009 and end on Dec. 31, 2009.

A question was asked about retirees and the effect of the new health care terms of this contract on them. President Boland stated that you retire under the terms of the contract that is in effect at your retirement date. The District will be sending new Health Insurance rates as usual to the retirees at the start of 2009.

G. Mulrine mentioned the problems of overbooking at Scranton High School the night of their Back to School Night and asked about what could be done to avoid this in the future.

V. Wojnar brought the correcting of the 4Sight tests by Math and English teachers at the High School to the Board’s attention. President Boland stated that this was supposed to have been corrected by Mr. King. Mr. Gammaitoni would speak to Mr. Paris about this issue.

K. Kays made a motion that the Executive Board give President Boland the authority to set dates for General Membership Meetings. This was seconded by J. Gammaitoni. Motion was approved. Membership meetings will be held in November, February, March and early May.

A Fall Party date was set for Saturday, October 18, 2008 from 6 to 10 at St. George’s Hall on Keyser Avenue. Further details would be going to the schools.

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A meeting of the Executive Committee was called to order by President Rosemary Boland at 3:35 P.M. on Monday, September 29, 2008 at Scranton High School.

Members present: K. Kays, M. Loftus, K. Waltz, G. Mulrine, J. Gammaitoni, M. Doran, R. Boland, P. Festa, P. McDonough, M. Byron, A. Trapani, J. Vitris, D. Walter,

President Boland stated that a Powerpoint presentation of the new Para professionals Contract would be shown at their meeting. A motion was made by K. Waltz and seconded by P. Festa that there would be a unanimous motion of recommendation for the paraprofessional contract. Motion passed unanimously.

The date of the Fall Party was changed to Friday, October 24, 2008 due to a booking conflict. A motion was made by J. Gammaitoni and seconded by G. Mulrine that the cost of the party is $10.00 for active and retired members and $15.00 for guests. The total cost of the party is $25.00 and $15.00 will be paid by the SFT Treasury.

A motion was made by P. Festa and seconded by K. Beckwith to nominate Jennifer Telesco to complete the term of Bob Montgomery on the Executive Committee. Motion passed.

President Boland gave a brief update on outstanding grievances at Armstrong School, Bancroft School and Morris School.

President Boland also reminded everyone that school computers should only be used for school business.

A motion to adjourn was made by K. Waltz and seconded by J. Baldauff. Meeting adjourned at 4:00 P.M.

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The meeting of the Paraprofessionals of the Scranton Federation of Teachers for the purpose of Contract Ratification was held on Monday, September 29, 2008 at 4:00 P.M. at Scranton High School.

The meeting was called to order at 4:05 P.M. by President Rosemary Boland. Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough acknowledged the work of the Executive Committee and in particular J. Vitris and A. Trapani in obtaining a tentative agreement. Mr. McDonough also stated that legal representation was present at all negotiating sessions.

A PowerPoint presentation was given addressing this tentative contract agreement showing language changes, health care information, salaries and other issues. Members also received color coded papers with this information.

President Boland summarized the presentation by stating that there were significant language changes, significant rate changes for health care insurance, changes for hourly rate, changes in the retirement incentive and a change in the life insurance policy.

A secret ballot vote was then taken to ratify the contract with the following results:

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The Executive Committee Meeting of the Scranton Federation of Teachers was held on Wednesday, November 5, 2008. President Rosemary Boland called the meeting to order at 3:55 P.M.

Members present: R. Boland, P. McDonough, K. Waltz, J. Telesco, A. Geiger, V. Wojnar, J. Baldauff, D. Walter, K. Beckwith, K. Kays, M. Byron, J. Zaleski, M. Doran, G. Mulrine, M. Wazowicz.

Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough distributed several sets of Executive Committee Minutes to the members present. The first minutes presented were those of the September 3, 2008 meeting. After examination by the Committee, a motion to approve these minutes was made by K. Waltz and seconded by P. Festa. Minutes were approved.

The next minutes were those from the Executive Committee Meeting held on September 17, 2008. A motion to approve these minutes was made by V. Wojnar and seconded by K. Kays. Minutes were approved. The last minutes to be distributed were those from the meeting held on September 29, 2008. A motion to accept these minutes was made by K. Kays and seconded by K. Beckwith.

Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough began his report with the results of the recent audit. This report was distributed to the members and the findings were explained by Mr. McDonough. The following motion was made by K. Waltz, Trustee and seconded by

M. Loftus, Trustee -that the audit letter of October 23, 2008, with accompanying statements of financial positions, and statement of chargeable and non-chargeable expenses conducted by John Feldman, CPA, Financial Services Department of the AFT be accepted by the Executive Committee. Motion passed.

Mr. McDonough also presented the proposed SFT Budget for the 2008-2009 year. The following motion was made by K. Waltz and seconded by M. Byron – that the Proposed Budget for 2008-2009 be adopted by the Executive Committee. Motion passed.

Mr. McDonough discussed the increase in dues payments to both AFT and AFT-PA and its effect on the income of our Local.

Mr. McDonough discussed the present salaries paid to several SFT officers. He made note that the present salary schedule is still below the salaries paid in the past.

The following motion was made by K. Waltz and seconded by M. Loftus – that the following salary increases for SFT officers be adopted by the Executive Committee effective November 2008:

Mr. McDonough gave a report on the recent Fall Party held on October 24, 2008. The cost for the party was about $3700.00. $1700.00 was collected and $2000.00 was paid by the SFT.

The recent passing of Sallyanne Mariani, former SFT member and wife of the SFT’s former attorney Robert Mariani was mentioned by Mr. McDonough. A motion was made by P. McDonough and seconded by P. Festa to transfer $100.00 from the general fund to the Scholarship Fund in her memory and that notice would be sent to Atty. Mariani. The Marianis’ daughter was a recent recipient of one of our scholarships.

It was also noted that Mr. McDonough and Mr. Gammaitoni, now retired from the Scranton School District, are paying union dues, based on their last final salary. The payments will be made once each month.

M. Loftus made the following motion which was seconded by K. Kays - that the SFT would award one Scholarship at each of the high schools. G. Mulrine made a motion which was seconded by K. Beckwith, to table this motion until a later time when the SFT would have a better idea of funds from student teachers assigned to the District from the various Universities/Colleges in the area.

December 10 will be an Arbitration hearing on the use of specialist teachers to cover classes, instead of using a rotation or regular education teachers.

Another item set for arbitration is the salary/wages for the paraprofessionals and the issue of 16 steps in the salary scale.

Other topics discussed were – changing of paraprofessional schedules, clerical work being done in offices by paraprofessionals, redirection of paraprofessionals to classes other than their own.

President Boland acknowledged the following members for their hard work on the recent SFT Fall Party – special thanks was given to M. Byron, P. Festa, Kim Gnall and others who made the evening so enjoyable.

President Boland extended a welcome to Jennifer Telesco, a new Executive Committee member representing elementary teachers. Jennifer will complete the term of

President Boland announced that there would be a guest speaker at the November 12, 2008 General Membership Meeting. Mr. Bill Cockerill from the Scranton Central Labor Union will speak to the membership about the present LUW campaign.

The officers will be having another meeting with Mr. Vail concerning the Club hours.

A question was asked about copy limits and were they still in effect in the various schools. Each school seems to have its own regulations.

The summer course for paraprofessionals will move the Paras to Step 10. Paras that presently have a certificate from the State will have this certificate honored.

A motion was made by V. Wojnar and seconded by P. Festa , that the SFT request new Plan books from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Motion passed.

A motion to adjourn was made by K. Kays and seconded by J. Zaleski. Motion passed.

President Boland announced that the SFT had received an e-mail from Barack Obama thanking everyone for their efforts in the recent election. AFT President Randy Weingarten and AFT-PA President Ted Kirsch also sent thank-yous for all the work done by both active and retired SFT members.

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The General Membership Meeting of the Scranton Federation of Teachers was held on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at Scranton High School. The meeting was called to order at 3:50 P.M. by President Rosemary Boland.

President Boland led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance. President Boland asked for a moment of silence in memory of Mary Badyrka, a faculty member at West Scranton Intermediate School and in memory of Sallyanne Price Mariani, a former teacher in the District and wife of Attorney Robert Mariani.

Then President Boland called for a special order of the day to accommodate a guest speaker, Mr. Bill Cockerill. Mr. Cockerill, Treasurer of the Scranton Central Labor Union, spoke to the membership on behalf of the Lackawanna United Way Campaign. Mr. Cockerill mentioned several programs that benefit from the donations for LUW. – Success by 6 Program, the Low Income Heating Emergency Assistance Program.

Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough gave brief summaries of the minutes from the following meeting dates –

May 22, 2008 – A motion to accept the minutes was made by K. Secor and seconded by S. Rybitski. Motion passed.

August 19, 2008 – A motion to accept the minutes was made by G. Pugh and seconded by F. Regan. Motion passed.

September 7, 2008 –Ratification of the Teacher contract - A motion to accept the minutes was made by several members and seconded by S. Durkin. Motion passed.

September 29, 2008 – Ratification of the Paraprofessional contract- A motion to accept the minutes was made by M. Foley and seconded by B. Jordan. Motion passed.

Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough reported on the Audit results which have recently been completed for the year July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008. Mr. McDonough also reported on these additional items – the Fair Share audit, the tentative budget passed by the Executive Committee for the 2008-2009 year, the dues distribution to AFT and AFT-PA, and the costs associated with the SFT Fall Party held on October 24, 2008.

President R. Boland reported on the status of some ongoing grievances and arbitrations.

Grievances were discussed the use of paraprofessionals at Armstrong School and Bancroft School, and teacher letter of reprimand.

Arbitrations are filed concerning use of specialist teachers to cover classes, and the paraprofessional salary step issue.

Second Vice-President P. Festa reported on the purchase of SFT bulletin boards for schools which currently do not have bulletin boards. He asked that he be informed if a building was in need of a bulletin board.

Trustee K. Waltz addressed the assembly about the need for updating addresses and phone numbers, especially for use in the global connect system.

President Boland reported that the Fall Party held at St. George’s Hall was a success thanks in no small measure to Marissa Byron, Kim Gnall, Pat Festa and mostly importantly the members who came to celebrate our contracts and union spirit. The fifty-fifty raised $186.00 for the Scholarship fund. President Boland thanked again all who were able to attend.

President Boland reported that the District has a newly revised Sexual Harassment Policy and it should have been distributed to everyone the first day of school. She advised that everyone familiarize himself/herself with the policy.

A question was asked as to who was now in charge of the ESL department. L. Kurpis responded that she was informed that four people are handling the ESL department – Personnel is L. Paris; Scheduling is J. Leitzel; Materials is Amelia; Money is N. Hlavaty.

K. Secor asked about the investigation into various financial issues by J. Gould of the AFT. President Boland was still waiting for information from the District concerning the 2007 audit.

Questions were also answered about 4 Sight corrections, legal fees involved with Arbitrations and curriculum changes.

President Boland announced the dates for the February, March and May General Membership meetings. Agendas for these meetings were also announced. February’s meeting will include nominations of officers and conference delegates; the March meeting will be the election of officers and delegates.

A motion to adjourn was made by P. Tunney and seconded by K. Bharkhda. Meeting adjourned at 5:15 P.M.

A COPE meeting was convened at 5:15 P.M. President Boland congratulated all who had participated in this recent historic election. She gave particular thanks to the Retiree Chapter and especially to President Carol Conaboy for their many hours of work. President Boland thanked all members who participated in labor walks, phone calling, canvassing, mailing and voting.

A motion to adjourn was made by C. Evans and seconded by B. Roditski. The COPE meeting adjourned at 5:20 P.M.

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Executive Committee Meeting – January 14, 2009

The Executive Committee Meeting of the Scranton Federation of Teachers was held on Wednesday, January 14, 2009. The meeting was called to order at 3:48 P.M. by President Rosemary Boland.

Members present: R. Boland, J. Gammaitoni, V. Wojnar, G. Mulrine, P. McDonough, K. Waltz, J. Baldauff, M. Doran, D. Walter, M. Byron, K. Opshinsky, M. Wazowicz, A. Geiger, K. Beckwith, P. Festa, J. Telesco, A. Trapani, and K. Kays

Excused: J. Zaleski, M. Loftus

Secretary’s Report

Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough distributed the minutes from the December Executive Committee Meeting to those present. Hearing no additions or corrections, a motion was made by G. Mulrine and seconded by M. Byron to approve the minutes as written. Motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report

The financial report of the Scranton Federation of Teachers was distributed and an explanation was provided by Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough. This report is on file at the SFT office.

Mr. McDonough also reported on the following:

Receipt of a thank-you note from the Little Sisters of the Poor for a recent donation.

A thank-you from Bill Cockerill for the contributions made by the members of the SFT to the recent United Way Campaign.

A request from the Lackawanna Human Development Agency for a donation to the Head Start Youngsters Winter Coat Fund.

President’s Report

President Boland provided the following report:

Arbitration has been filed on the issue of the Paraprofessionals’ salary schedule. An arbitrator has not yet been selected and therefore no date has been set for this arbitration. Hopefully an arbitrator will be named by next week.

A grievance was filed about SRA company representatives observing classroom, ESL and Special Education teachers using the SRA Reading Program and passing on their reports to administration officials, some of whom have incorporated these reports into teachers’ observations. A discussion was held with Mr. King about this situation. Mr. King responded that the District never intended this and that these reports were not to be used against a teacher. Mr. King did, however, state that these company representatives would continue to observe teachers using the SRA program to provide feedback to the teachers about their use of the program. It is the position of the SFT that there will be no outside observation of teachers by program representatives.

Two grievances had been filed at the Board level. A meeting was held with the Labor Relations Committee of the Scranton School Board – Brian Jeffers, Todd Hartman and Frank Brazill, Mr. King, Mr. Vail and Atty. McGrath as well as the SFT delegation.

The Board did agree that paraprofessionals should not be doing clerical work. In the case of the other grievance regarding a teacher and a letter of reprimand, this issue will be taken to arbitration.

Mr. Vail has been appointed by the Scranton School Board to be the District’s compliance office for harassment issues.

As to the status of the new Contract, clean copies have been sent to Mr. Vail and to Atty. Gelman where they are being checked for correctness. The Paraprofessional Contract, except for the Salary Schedule, is also a clean copy.

Every member should have 3 Health Insurance cards – United Concordia Dental, Blue Cross Medical and CVS/Caremark Prescription card.

The recent posting involving the Yellowwood School raised a question about a loss of a job and must be investigated.

Liberty Mutual Insurance gave a presentation to the SFT on their various programs. Liberty Mutual offers educational programs to schools and online courses for teacher development with a cost saving. Liberty Mutual will donate money to the SFT Scholarship Fund for new membership in their various programs.

President Boland announced the a proposed slate for the upcoming SFT elections.

President - Rosemary Boland

Secretary/Treasurer – Kevin Kays

1^st Vice President – M. Loftus

2^nd Vice President – Pat Festa

3^rd Vice President – Vince Wojnar

Trustee – Kathy Waltz

Trustee – Amy Trapani

Trustee – Jerry Baldauff

Paraprofessionals – Judy Vitris

Itinerants – Kathy Opshinsky

Scranton High - Dave Powell

West High – Diane Mazurkivich

SSIS – Ann Geiger

NEIS – Dan Walter

WSIS – Vince Amico

Elementary – Marty Wazowicz

Elementary – Jennifer Telesco

Elementary – Jennifer Zaleski

Elementary – Mary Doran

Elementary – Marissa Byron

Elementary- Kathleen Beckwith

Slated delegates for the AFT-PA Conference to be held in Philadelphia from June 26 – 28, 2009 are:

Rosemary Boland, Kevin Kays, Matt Loftus, Kathy Waltz, Pat Festa, Jerry Baldauff, Amy Trapani, Mary Doran, Jennifer Telesco

New Business

A motion was made by P. Festa and seconded by K. Waltz – The dues that are now being paid by retirees P. McDonough and J. Gammaitoni, be put in the Scholarship fund for the year 2008-2009. Motion passed.

Other issues discussed:

Science teachers being used to correct 4Sight tests.

Question about the recent tax paid on the insurance benefit, an explanation is requested

Some teachers are still in need of fobs for buildings, especially for teachers/paraprofessionals who are assigned to more than one building.

A walk will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2009 for the Catholic School teachers in support of H.B. 26. This walk will be taking place outside the Cathedral.

A motion to adjourn was made by G. Mulrine and seconded by K. Beckwith. Motion passed.

Meeting adjourned at 5:10 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

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Executive Committee Meeting – February 4, 2009

The Executive Committee of the Scranton Federation of Teachers met on Wednesday, February 4, 2009. The meeting was called to order by President Rosemary Boland at 4:02 P.M.

Members present: J. Gammaitoni, P. McDonough, R. Boland, K. Waltz, V. Wojnar, J. Baldauff, K. Opshinsky, K. Beckwith, M. Byron, A. Geiger, M. Wazowicz, D. Walter, M. Doran, J. Zaleski, K. Kays.

Secretary’s Report

The minutes were distributed to those present. A motion to accept the minutes was made by K. Waltz and seconded by K. Beckwith. Motion was carried.

Treasurer’s Report

The Treasurer’s report was distributed and an explanation was given by Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough. The report is on file at the SFT office. At this time President Boland gave a report on the AFT-PA state audit. She reported that the Scranton Federation of Teachers is in good standing in all areas of the state report.

A motion was made by P. McDonough and seconded by J. Baldauff that the ER&D basic fee per course be raised from $20 to $25 effective fall of 2009. Motion passed.

President’s Report

President Boland announced the following changes to the SFT slate of officers and Executive Committee members - Amy Trapani for the Paraprofessional electoral group and Ted Anderson for Trustee.

Old Business

President Boland made reference to the recent SFT Newsletter and its discussion of grievances and arbitrations. President Boland also noted the recent passing of Louise Auriemma, a paraprofessional at Willard and Lincoln Jackson Schools. She noted that staff at Lincoln Jackson had to take personal days to attend services for Mrs. Auriemma.

President Boland was contacted by Atty. Gelman regarding the arbitration for the paraprofessional salaries. An arbitrator has been selected, but no date has been

set. There is an arbitrator and date for the arbitration concerning the teacher from West Scranton High School.

February 18, 2009 is the next General Membership Meeting. Nominations for officers and the Executive Committee will be conducted. Nominations for delegates to the state AFT-PA convention will take place. President Boland announced that Christine Walker will be the Chair of the Election Committee. She has selected the following members to also serve on this Committee – Mary Jane McGurrin and Brian Bayer. G. Mulrine, J. Gammaitoni and P. McDonough will oversee the counting of ballots. The election will follow Robert’s Rules of Order. Chairperson Walker will present the proposed slate. The Transition Committee will start its duties by April 1, 2009.

New Business

K. Waltz announced that the Scholarship application will be sent to the printer and will then be available in the guidance offices of Scranton and West Scranton High Schools.

Two $1000 scholarships and one $500 scholarship is awarded at each school. Liberty Mutual, Inc., an insurance company currently doing presentations in the schools, will donate monies to the scholarship fund – a percentage based on policies sold in the

schools.

Other issues addressed:

Overcrowding of the 7^th Grade lunch at Northeast Intermediate School

The inability of doing grades at home using the e-school program

Booklets explaining the current insurance coverages

Status of the contract and its printing

On February 12, a meeting with Blue Cross, Mr. Casella and the SFT concerning the insurance plan

A motion to adjourn was made by M. Wazowicz and seconded by P. McDonough. Meeting adjourned at 5:13. P.M.

COPE meeting convened at 5:13 P.M.

An ACE meeting was held recently with U.S. Representative Paul Kanjorski at his Wilkes-Barre office. Members of the Committee are K. Waltz, P. Festa and M. Wazowicz. The meeting lasted about one hour. Topics discussed were the Stimulus Bill and the Employees Free Choice Act.

A request was made by P. Lawler for the SFT to sponsor a table for a brunch honoring Catherine Baker Knoll at a cost would be $200.00. A motion to sponsor the table was made by G. Mulrine and seconded by V. Wojnar. Motion passed.

A motion to adjourn was made by K. Waltz and seconded by J. Baldauff. Meeting adjourned at 5:20 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

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General Membership Meeting – February 18, 2009

A presentation by the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company was made to the membership prior to the start of the General Membership meeting. Representatives will be in the schools in the near future to discuss their program offerings.

The General Membership Meeting of the Scranton Federation of Teachers was held on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at Scranton High School. The meeting was called to order at 3:45 P.M. by President Rosemary Boland. President Boland led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance. President Boland also held a moment of silence for relatives of members who have recently passed away.

A motion was made by K. Secor and seconded by L. Kurpis to dispense with the reading of the minutes and the treasurer’s report. Motion passed.

President Boland called on Christine Walker, Chairperson of the Election Committee, to give her committee’s report.

The following report was presented:

Officer nominations:

President – Rosemary Boland

First Vice-President – Mathew Loftus

Second Vice-President – Patrick Festa

Third Vice-President – Vincent Wojnar

Secretary/Treasurer – Kevin Kays

Three Trustees – Ted Anderson, Gerald Baldauff, Kathryn Waltz

Executive Committee nominations:

Scranton High School Electoral Group – David Powell

West Scranton High School Electoral Group – Diane Mazurkivich

Northeast Intermediate School Electoral Group – Daniel Walter

South Scranton Intermediate School Electoral Group – Ann Geiger

West Scranton Intermediate School Electoral Group – Vincent Amico

Elementary School Electoral Group at large – Kathleen Beckwith, Marissa Byron, Mary Doran, Jennifer Telesco, Martin Wazowicz, Jennifer Zaleski,

Professional Support Electoral Group – Kathy Opshinsky

Paraprofessional Electoral Group – Amy Trapani

Chairperson Walker thanked the members of her committee, Brian Bayer and Mary Jane McGurrin, for their work on this committee.

President Rosemary Boland thanked the committee for their report.

At this time, President Boland opened up the floor for nominations. Each office was announced twice. No nominations were received for Officers, High School, Intermediate, Elementary, and Professional Support Electoral Groups.

A nomination from the floor for the Paraprofessional Electoral Group was made from the floor. Judy Vitris nominated Vita Forgione for the Paraprofessional Electoral Group. This nomination was accepted by Ms. Forgione.

A motion was made by B. Boland and seconded by K. Secor to elect by acclamation the nominees who had no opposition. Motion passed.

President Boland announced that a secret ballot election will be held at the March 11, 2009 General Membership Meeting for the Paraprofessional Electoral Group.

Chairperson Walker presented the following names for delegates to the AFT-PA Convention to be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from June 25 through June 28, 2009.

Delegates – Rosemary Boland, Patrick Festa, Kathy Waltz, Amy Trapani, Mary Doran, Kevin Kays, Matt Loftus, Jerry Baldauff, Jennifer Telesco. Alternate Delegate – Kathy Secor.

President Boland opened the floor for nominations. There were no nominations from the floor. A vote of acclamation was asked by President Boland. A motion was made and seconded. Motion passed.

President’s Report

President Boland gave an update on grievances and arbitrations.

*arbitration will be held in April concerning a district teacher

*an arbitrator has been selected for the Paraprofessional arbitration but no date

has been announced.

*arbitration has been filed concerning the compressed schedule used for 4Sight

testing which causes teachers to have more than the contractual number of teaching periods in a day.

New Business

Jerry Skotleski addressed the group and expressed his thanks on behalf of himself, fellow teacher Sean Curry and the 19 students of Scranton High who attended the recent Presidential Inauguration in Washington D.C. He thanked the members for their support in the fund raisers and for the many donations that made this trip possible.

Another issue brought up for discussion was the current insurance rates for retirees.

A motion to adjourn was made by B. Buckley and seconded by B. Roditski. Motion passed.

Meeting adjourned at 4:25 P.M.

COPE Meeting was convened at 4:25 P.M. An announcement was made by A. Trapani about an upcoming fundraiser for Todd Hartman and Robert Lesh to be held on March 7, 2009 at the Waldorf Park.

The SFT has been asked by 2 candidates, seeking the office of Tax Collector, for support in the upcoming primary. The COPE Committee will meet with candidates for interviews for any offices open in the May Primary.

A motion to adjourn the COPE Meeting was made by R. Boland and seconded by G. Roskos. Meeting adjourned at 4:30 P.M.

At this time, a presentation on the particulars of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield health care plan was made by Mr. Augie Cassella.

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General Membership Meeting – March 11, 2009

A General Membership Meeting of the Scranton Federation of Teachers was held on March 11, 2009 at Scranton High School. The meeting was called to order at 3:55 P.M. by President Rosemary Boland.

President Boland led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance. A moment of silence was held in memory of Cheryl Frantz, a long time SFT officer and past president of the SFT Retiree Chapter.

President Boland also referenced the fact that an election was taking place in the Scranton High School Lobby for the Paraprofessional Representative to the SFT Executive Board. Voting closed at 4:00 P.M. At that time, President Boland asked the candidates for this position, Amy Trapani and Vita Forgione, to proceed to the Lobby to witness the counting of ballots by the Election Committee members, C. Walker, B. Bayer, and also G. Mulrine from the Executive Committee.

Voting Results – Amy Trapani - 26 votes Vita Forgone - 16 votes

42 votes cast

Therefore, Amy Trapani was declared elected as the paraprofessional member of the Executive Committee for f four year term beginning July 1, 2009.

Secretary’s Report

Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough read the minutes of the November 12, 2008 General Membership Meeting. A motion to accept the minutes was made by M. Coyne and seconded by M. Foley. Motion passed. Mr. McDonough then read the COPE Meeting minutes from November 12, 2008. A motion to accept was made by K. Secor and seconded by L. Kurpis. Motion passed.

Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough read the minutes of the February 18, 2009 General Membership Meeting. A motion to accept the minutes was made by B. Boland and seconded by K. Secor. Motion passed. Mr. McDonough then read the COPE Meeting

Minutes from February 18, 2009. A motion to accept was made by M. Coyne and seconded by B. Roditski.

Treasurer’s Report

Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough stated that all bills have been satisfied and the report is on file in the SFT office.

President’s Report

President Boland announced that there is a date for the arbitration concerning the paraprofessionls’ salary schedule. This date is May 29, 2009.

An arbitration concerning a teacher has been set for May 20, 2009.

A grievance concerning the 4 Sight scheduling was filed. President Boland received a letter from Atty. McGrath that this issue was settled. President Boland questioned this since she had not been notified of any meeting concerning this. According to the administration, it was agreed that the SFT position was correct and that teachers will be compensated.

The SFT has also filed a grievance at the Superintendent’s level concerning the after school programs and posting of the positions. Mr. McTiernan does not want to issue a new posting for these programs.

New Business

President Boland announced that she had been contacted by N. Krake from the Scranton Central Labor Union concerning the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The SFT has been invited to walk in the parade with the other local labor unions and the AFL-CIO bus.

A question was asked from the floor by K. Secor about principals not running the after school programs. President Boland addressed this issue.

President Boland made note that this was the time of year for DEBE reports and principals have been conducting observations throughout the District. President Boland advised teachers to be cognizant of what their principal expected in their lesson planning.

A motion to adjourn was made by B. Roditski and seconded by M. Coyne. Meeting adjourned at 4:30 P.M.

A COPE meeting was convened at 4:30 P.M. President Boland reminded everyone that this was primary election season. She stated that some candidates have supported the SFT and that the SFT will support them. She announced that March 18, 2009 will be the next meeting of the Scranton Central Labor Union. At this meeting, candidates for various offices will be speaking.

The SFT had been contacted by Gary DiBileo, mayoral candidate, and Nathan Barrett, School Board candidate for our support.

Janet Evans, candidate for City Council, an SFT member, will be having a rally on Friday, March 13, 2009.

Todd Hartman, candidate for Scranton School Board, will be holding a rally at the end of March.

In an upcoming COPE flier, the SFT will be announcing its endorsements based on interviews and other information.

A motion to adjourn was made by M. Coyne and seconded by S. Durkin.

The meeting adjourned at 4:33. P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Executive Committee Meeting – April 1, 2009

The Executive Committee of the Scranton Federation of Teachers met on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. President Rosemary Boland called the meeting to order at 3:45 P.M.

Members present: R. Boland, P. McDonough, J. Gammaitoni, K. Waltz, V. Wojnar, P. Festa, J. Telesco, J. Baldauff, M. Wazowicz, J. Zaleski, A. Trapani, M. Doran, M. Byron, K. Beckwith, K. Opshinsky, K. Kays, A. Geiger

Excused – M. Loftus, G. Mulrine

Transition members present: T. Anderson, D. Powell, D. Mazurkivich, V. Amico

President Boland announced that the transition of new Board members started today and introduced the four new Board members named above to the Committee members present. President Boland also announced that Matt Loftus was back at work and hopefully will be at the next Board meeting.

Secretary’s Report

Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough distributed the minutes from the last Executive Board meeting. Hearing no additions or corrections, a motion was made by V. Wojnar and seconded by P. Festa to accept the minutes as written. Motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer P. McDonough reviewed the Treasurer’s report with the entire Committee. This report is on file at the SFT office. Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough reviewed correspondence from the following – thank-you notes from G. Mulrine, and a letter of acknowledgement from J. Andrews thanking members of the ACE committee for their recent visit to the office of U.S. Representative Paul Kanjorski. A letter was also received from Bob Martin of the Fraternal Order of Police explaining the plight of our local police union. Mr. Martin offered to attend an SFT meeting to explain their problems. The SFT has received a request from the radio station 105 the River to sponsor a public service announcement concerning child abuse which would be aired for two weeks in the month of April during peak listening times – 3 times a week. The charge would be $370.00.

President’s Report

President Boland announced the following dates of importance:

May 20 – arbitration date for a teacher from West Scranton High School.

May 29 – arbitration on the salary schedule for the paraprofessionals’ contract.

These arbitrations will be held in Scranton at the Administration Building.

President Boland also brought the following topics into discussion – phone texting, messaging and calling from students to teachers, teacher dress and being in classrooms when scheduled.

M. Doran announced that the Special Education Cocktail Party will be held on May 1, 2009 and would cost $35.00 per ticket. A motion was made by M. Doran and seconded by J. Baldauff to support the Special Olympics by purchasing 4 tickets for this party. This was amended to the purchase of 5 tickets. The motion as amended passed.

President Boland discussed the 21^st Century grant. She noted that the current list of teachers e-mailed to the school site co-coordinators was not up to date. She advised that teachers keep records for their own files.

Secretary/Treasurer P. McDonough noted that the ER&D fee was increased to $25 at the last Executive Board meeting. Mr. McDonough made a motion that the $25.00 fee be non-refundable for Act 48 hours. Fees for credits would still be processed for refunds. The motion was seconded by K. Beckwith. Motion passed.

A motion was made by K. Waltz and seconded by J. Telesco to pay $370 for the public service announcement on radio station 105 the River concerning the topic of child abuse.

Motion passed.

A motion to adjourn was made by K. Opshinsky and seconded by M. Byron. Motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 5:19 P.M.

A COPE meeting convened at 5:20 P.M.

President Boland discussed the upcoming Primary election as possibly being the actual election.

SFT recommendations for School Board, County, Superior and Supreme Court Judges as well as other local offices will be featured in an upcoming COPE Bulletin.

Motion to adjourn was made by P. Festa and seconded by K. Kays. Meeting adjourned at 5:45 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,