We hope that you have had a great first two weeks of school! Please reach out to your building reps if you have any questions or concerns.
EPEA NEWS:
Hello EPEA!
It is hard to believe that the first two weeks of the school year are already behind us! Your hard work with our students continues to make a difference in their lives, and we continue to look forward to what is coming next!
In the last couple weeks, some of us have received emails, phone calls, or letters from faceless anti-union groups with incredibly deep pockets. These are the same efforts that surface every September as national anti-union groups try to persuade Eden Prairie educators to drop their membership.
These groups have a long history of working against public education in Minnesota and nationally. Their strategies center on slashing teacher salaries, eliminating our pensions, and shrinking our schools’ budgets to further deprive our students of the resources they deserve. Their goal is clear: divide teachers to break up our union and weaken our voice in our schools by spreading disinformation and fear.
We will continue to win against these groups because we stand united. When we are united as a collective union, we hold the power to direct positive change in our schools and our community. Change that our students, our teachers, and our community truly deserve.
I thank you for your continued choice to be the union, and the daily experiences you provide for our students. Your work makes the world a better place, and I am proud to serve as your representative.
In solidarity,
Charles Cooper
Check your check!
Article VIII, Section 6, Subd 1: “K-12 teachers shall have the option to be paid in twenty-four (24) or twenty (20) equal semi-monthly installments. Paydays shall be the 15th and the last day of each month or the last weekday preceding these days if the 15th or the last day should be a school holiday.”
As the new year begins, for most of us that means a new rate of pay. So how do you determine if your paycheck is accurate? This video walks you through what to do.
READ Act MOU: If you have been working to complete the required training under the READ Act, you may have already seen some improvements in your paycheck! Our READ Act MOU identifies multiple options for qualifying teachers, with various stipends attached to each. If you have chosen option A, B, or C, you should see payments within 30 days of completing each module.
TSA(403b) Match
Article XIII, Section 3, Subd 4: “This matching tax-sheltered annuity program will provide a dollar-for-dollar match of an eligible employee’s tax-sheltered annuity up to 2.25% of the employee’s basic salary.”
If you are not currently investing at least 2.25% of your annual salary into a TSA, this negotiated benefit is being left on the table, and that costs us!
September is a great time to rethink your contribution amount for the coming academic year. Below is a list of the approved vendors for the district’s TSA match.
GUIDANCE from YOUR MEMBER RIGHTS ADVOCATE:
Social Media Recommendations:
When you are setting up your profile information on socials, please be aware that if you publicize your workplace as Eden Prairie Schools, you may open yourself up to violating the district’s social media policy that relates to employee speech regarding the topics of religion, political issues, and controversial topics while in the presence of students. “While in the presence of students” does include social media platforms when the posts or comments are made as a school employee to communicate to students and families and not as a member of the general public.
If you are in need of support at an administration meeting, believe there is a contract violation, or have a performance/conduct-related support request, please connect with Carla Thompson (Lead MRA) cthompson@edenpr.org or 952-240-6577
MEMBER BENEFITS:
BUILT IN BENEFITS WITH MEMBERSHIP
ESI PerksConnect - discounts to area activities and restaurants
NEA Discount Marketplace - discount tickets and travel programs
The EPEA held a school board candidate screening on September 12th. All candidates were invited to attend. Candidates that attended the screening were: Ann Bradsher, Jon Cermak, Kim Johnson, Kim Ross, and Jody Ward-Rannow. If you have any insights about any of the candidates, please contact Charles Cooper.
Want to support pro-education candidates?
To pass better educator pay, improve our pensions, and make meaningful improvements for our health care plans, we need to elect more pro-education candidates to the state Legislature. If you are interested in building local support, in Eden Prairie or your home district, for EdMN endorsed candidates, contact Charles Cooper (epea4you@gmail.com) for more information.
ESP of the Year Nominations remain open until September 16!
Our Educational Support Professionals make many of our lives easier on a daily basis. If you know a member of our paraprofessional, food service, transportation, grounds, or security teams that goes above and beyond, nominate them for EdMN’s ESP of the Year by following this link!
*All nominees must be members of EdMN for three years as of 8/31/24.
"“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go, they merely determine where you start."
– Nido Qubein
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In Solidarity,
Charles Cooper, EPEA President
Mike Woizeschke, EPEA Vice President
Brent Bovitz, EPEA Treasurer
Jessica Premo, EPEA Secretary
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