Northern Michigan Hospital Nurses are still striking. We must all understand that this strike, though on the other side of the state, is in our backyard. Many of us still utilize this facility because we have in the past and have established Dr/patient relationships with various specialists. We must re-evaluate the use of this facility. So long as we continue to utilize NMH, the management group feels there is no reason to end this strike. Bottom line: $’s talk. So long as we frequent the facility, the management group makes money—until a pinch is felt—a big pinch, this strike will continue. We can help in two ways: (1) Stay away from NMH, and (2) Donate to the Nurses’ Association—time, money or what have you.

The attorneys responsible for this fiasco are known as the "Fishman Group" lead by Steve Fishman. This is the same group that "closed" Fletcher Paper and is now "bargaining" for Besser Company. When this man comes in, the management team is letting the employees know management doesn’t like them any more!! These people are very expensive, yet management is more than willing to spend money to get money from their employees.

HB 4261 and 4525 would create a 50 percent, nonrefundable income tax credit for teachers and administrators who purchase classroom supplies using personal funds. Expenses are capped at $200 in expenses or $100 credit per teacher.

Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC), in Macomb Community College vs. MEA, held that an adjunct faculty member whose teaching load equals or exceeds 25% of the teaching load of the regular faculty shall be eligible to vote in the election. Therefore, an adjunct faculty member with a minimum teaching load of 3.5 equated hours per semester had a sufficient interest in his/her employment to be afforded the right to membership in a proposed bargaining unit.

…October 1, 2005, the State is increasing the retirement paid by the employer by 1.88%. So, if it is possible to have monies paid prior to October 1, the employer saves almost 2 cents on each dollar paid to an employee.

An average school district of 172 teachers with an average salary of $49,600 would have a $328,912 payroll for 26 pays. If just the first pay period in October was moved forward to September 30, they would save $6,184. There are lots of ways to move salary and wages up. Half the Extra Duty contracts could easily be paid in September. If we switched to 24 pays instead of 26 pays, it would move a little into September.

If the school district can borrow money at less than 1.88%, they could pay their entire payroll in September and save 1.88% on their entire payroll. Gee, perhaps the employees would loan the district their salary at 1.88% interest and the district could pay it back to the employees at the rate of 1/26^th of the loaned amount every two weeks. If the district has a big fund equity, they could work out quite nicely.