 Update No. 25An amazing day at the Capitol! On Monday, hundreds of Education Minnesota members and their families flooded the Capitol rotunda with purple passion for pensions. Our member speakers Deb Munter, Sheila Fitzgerald, Jim Reed, Julie Seiler, Steve Bliven and 2022 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Sarah Lancaster shared their stories, led chants, shared the need for reform and even broke into song. A huge thank you to them for taking the stage and leading the way. President Denise Specht shared the need for action by legislators now and the unacceptable retirement penalties that Tier 2 teachers face. Some of our strongest supporters in the Legislature also continued to show their support by taking the stage as well. Education Minnesota members showed up in huge numbers. Some drove three-plus hours one way, many had to find subs and others arranged to get out of their buildings as soon as they could. The rotunda was packed, the chants were loud and the message was clear! Many members couldn’t make the trip but also shared solidarity from a far with group pics and signs of support. This amazing unity is our best path to success. Check out more great pictures and video on our Facebook and Instagram accounts. We also received hundreds of photos of remote participation from teachers who wanted to be at the Capitol, but couldn’t. We’re working on compiling them into a graphic to send out soon! If you have a picture you’d like included and haven’t sent already, please email to [email protected].LCPR and progress On Monday morning, the LCPR met to discuss and decide what their omnibus bill would look like. They shared that they received input from pension plan staff and labor groups. It’s important to note the critical piece that was shared by LCPR Chair Rep. Kaohly Vang Her on TRA. She stated that “We are continuing to work on that plan even though our piece is settled. There are other ways we are looking to increasing teachers benefits through other budgets.” This is good news and shows progress in our work. With the amount of funding that the LCPR was given and specifically what TRA was allocated, there wasn’t enough for substantial improvements. The only benefit improvement option shared by the LCPR would put the cost of improvements completely on the backs and out of the paychecks of teachers, which was unacceptable. This would have been a poor investment to say the least. While this information isn’t specific to a final result, it demonstrates that our work continues in our fight for more funding from the state and/or employer. St. Paul did share a plan they would be able to go with. It would create an unreduced benefit of 62 years of age and 30 years of service. The funding would come from raising the employee contribution by 1% and the one-time money would be able to buy down that contribution for about two years. To be clear, this is St. Paul’s position at the moment, but things may continue to evolve for them as well. Just as the TRA position will continue to evolve in the weeks to come. Targets for advocacyContact Gov. Tim Walz, Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic and House Speaker Melissa Hortman and ask them to increase the funding for pensions.Speak with your two legislators directly and seek their action to advocate for a bigger investment.Pension town hall recording If you missed the virtual pension town hall with Reps. Kaohly Vang Her and Dan Wolgamott last week, you can watch a recording of the event here.April 20 – Pension Issue Lobby Day Join members from across the state for our Pensions Issue Lobby Day from 4:30-6 p.m. Thursday, April 20 to speak with legislators about the importance of investing in pensions. Register for this online event here. Resources:Organizing and Action General Information Pension bill action alertEducation Minnesota pensions webpageLegislative contact templateEdMN Capitol Connection e-newsletter Tips for contacting your legislators TRA document on pension basics Find your legislators PERA member resourcesEdMN Lobby Days info Public pension terminologyLCPR membersTRA candidate voter guideIf you’ve missed any past updates, they’re available on our website.If you have any questions, please email Adam Janiak. Keep organizing, sharing and talking to your colleagues about our plan. Sign up and forward this Education Minnesota Pension Updates signup today or use the QR code below!  |
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Join us for a free seminar to help you prepare for retirementOne of the many things Education Minnesota ESI Member Benefitsprovides for members are educational seminars.
EFS Advisors will be presenting a series of When Can I Afford to Retire? seminars for Education Minnesota members — both those with a TRA pension (teacher) and PERA pension (ESPs).During your working career, income comes from your salary. In retirement, your income comes from three sources: a pension, Social Security and other savings you have such as a 403(b). Whether you’re an early career educator or nearing retirement, these seminars contain valuable information for you. Register today!Topics to be discussed:Pension educationLearn how benefits are calculatedUnderstand defined benefit pension plansFinancial PlanningWhat can you expect from Social Security?Tax-deferred and tax-free savingsWhat can you expect from Social Security?Tax-deferred and tax-free savingsAsset allocation and asset management/diversification/performance and fees403(b) match and severance payment optionsVirtual seminar datesThese virtual seminars will all take place from 6-7 p.m. A Zoom link will be emailed to registered participants the day before the event.
Thurs. Jan. 19 – For members covered by a TRA pension plan (Teachers)
Tues. Jan. 31 – For members covered by a TRA pension plan (Teachers)
Tues. Feb. 7 – For members covered by a TRA pension plan (Teachers)Thurs. Feb. 9 – For members covered by a PERA pension plan (ESP)
Mon. Feb. 27 – For members covered by a TRA pension plan (Teachers)
Register today!Securities offered through Advanced Advisor Group (AAG), Member FINRA & SIPC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Educators Financial Services (EFS). 1995 E Rum River Dr. S, Cambridge MN 55008 – (763) 689-9023. AAG and EFS are affiliates under common control D/B/A EFS Advisors and are not affiliated with Education Minnesota ESI.
A number of contracts ago, EM-R negotiated a 2% salary match for a Health Care Savings Plan as part of the benefits package found in your contract. The Health Care Savings Plan allows you to invest money in a medical savings account while employed in ISD623. The plan is administered by the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) and is a TAX-FREE account! Details of the plan can be found HERE and in the two minute video below. Per statute, participation in the plan is mandatory for any locals that include it in their contract and the money cannot be accessed until you leave employment with ISD623. You do have the option to choose how the money in your account is invested. Click HERE to log in and check the balance of your account or change investment options (you’ll see the login portal in the upper right corner).
Summary video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJEdFclVcRQ
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 Classes are filling up – register now!Workshops are filling up fast for the 2022 MEA conference Oct. 20 both online and at the Saint Paul RiverCentre! You must register in advance for the conference and sessions. Sign up now to guarantee your spot! 2022 conference overview: Check-in opens: 7:30 a.m. Exhibits: 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. General session: 9-10:30 a.m. Workshops: 10:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Jennifer Berkshire will kick off the conference with her keynote about about the intersection of politics and education and the “reform movement” whose real motives are to privatize public education. The general session starts at 9 a.m. in Ballrooms A and B. Check out the rest of our virtual and in-person workshop lineup here. Register now! Join our new(er) educators at MEA! NEW this year: We’re hosting a space just for early career and aspiring educators! Join us anytime from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in Ballroom D at the Saint Paul RiverCentre to unwind, reflect and connect with other new(er) educators. Also, don’t forget to register for the Practical Guidance for New(er) Educators session from 3:45-4:45 p.m. in Conference Room 15. A panel of educators will share advice and experience in the classroom! |
*Debt relief for educators: Resources and support With the deadline for public loan forgiveness coming up in a month, we’d like to remind members of the resources and support your union is providing as Oct. 31 approaches. 1. Training for members on loan forgiveness, including the new debt relief announcement from President Joe Biden, is available. There is one more opportunity for members to receive training on the loan forgiveness options currently available for workers in public education at the MEA conference. Ed MN’s “Degrees Not Debt” class will be offered in-person at 1:15 p.m. and virtually at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 20. Register here! Members who cannot attend either synchronous class can view a recording of the most recent training via MEA Online. The recorded webinar is titled “UPDATED Degrees Not Debt w/ Cancellation information 8.30.22” and is 90 minutes in length. 2. Virtual student debt clinics from AFT One of our two national unions, AFT, is running virtual student debt clinics weekly for the next month for those interested in getting information on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness waiver. We recommend these trainings for members who cannot attend Ed MN’s virtual or in-person trainings and want a virtual, live alternative. Members can register online here. 3. Loan forgiveness fact sheet from NEA NEA shared a great fact sheet on both the new debt relief announcement and on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness waiver that is in place until Oct. 31. The fact sheet is linked above and is also posted on Ed MN’s Degrees Not Debt page. *New BRAVE program helps early career educators build resiliency and voice Educators within the first five years of their career are invited to join other early career colleagues across the state in strengthening their resilience and professional voice. Ed MN’s new BRAVE program, which stands for Building Resiliency and Voice with Early Career Educators, is designed to help newer educators in those critical first years of an education career. BRAVE participants will receive support, mentorship and professional development in establishing work/life balance, building culturally-responsive classrooms and instructional strategies, and developing skills to use their voice to advocate for their students and schools. This six-session, cohort-based course provides early career educators with both time and a safe space to connect with other newer colleagues from across the state facing similar systemic concerns in their locals. Register here by Tuesday, Oct. 11. Contact Melissa Del Rosario at Education Minnesota with questions. *Foundation grants are now available Members looking for funding for classroom projects or a professional development opportunity can apply for a grant from the Education Minnesota Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Visit the Foundation grant overview page to see if the Classroom-focused, Professional Development, IMPACT Grant or National Board Certified Teachers Scholarship could be the source for your needs. The Foundation is currently accepting applications for the fall round of Professional Development grants. |
| Applications open June 8 for frontline worker payments! Frontline workers, including school staff, can start applying next week for one-time payments to recognize their work during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. The application period is open June 8 through July 22 at frontlinepay.mn.gov. Your statewide union, Education Minnesota, fought hard to make sure state lawmakers approved these long-overdue payments to the school staff and other essential workers who kept our state running. Those eligible include ESPs, teachers, bus drivers, grocery store workers, factory workers, health care workers and many more. Employees in those categories are eligible for payment if:They worked in person for at least 120 hours between March 15, 2020, and June 30, 2021.They did not receive unemployment for more than 20 weeks during that period.For educators, their wages were no more than $185,000 for a married taxpayer filing a joint return or $85,000 for all other filers. All eligible applicants will receive an equal share of the available $500 million. Payments can’t exceed $1,500, but they could be lower if there are a significant number of applicants. We estimate payments will be around $750 per worker and will go out in early September as either direct bank deposits or mailed debit cards. Click here for more information on the frontline worker pay. |
Ed MN ESI will be holding a “When Can I Afford to Retire” virtual seminar for Education Minnesota members on May 12 from 6-7 p.m. This seminar will focus on those with a TRA pension.
During your working career your income comes from your salary. In retirement, your income comes from three sources; a pension, Social Security and other savings you have such as a 403(b). Whether you are an early career educator or nearing retirement, this seminar has valuable information for you.
Attending a When Can I Afford to Retire seminar will:
· Provide a general overview of defined benefit pensions
· Increase member level of understanding of retirement benefits
· Assist members with next steps for future planning
Please register here if you plan to attend.
If you have questions regarding the seminar, please contact Christine Thornborrow at [email protected] .
This handout on employee assistance can be very helpful for you when you need help and support. This is a service that the district provides for our use.
Listed below are multiple ways you can support our striking colleagues in Minneapolis. Please consider helping their fight for a fair and equitable contract!
- Share the MFT Bargaining Demands.
- Individual Sign Up Form.
- Organizational Sign Up Form.
- Sign up for our MFT Family Email List here.
- Send a letter to Ed Graff by filling this out here.
- Sign and share our petition here.
- Pledge to support our strike fund here.
- Support our bargaining team in mediation by providing food, coffee, words of support, etc. Sign up here.
- Learn more by visiting safeandstableschools.org
If you forgot to apply for the Education Minnesota Foundation Professional Development Grant in the fall, there’s still time to apply for the spring round of funding. ESPs and teachers may request up to $1,500, and higher education faculty may request up to $3,000. Applications are due Friday, April 1. Visit here to learn more and apply! |
