Sorry for the interruption and for the late notice.  The president of the Roosevelt Teachers Association, Sal Finelli, has reached out to ask for help with a demonstration being planned for this afternoon (Monday, November 25).  The Roosevelt teachers are now 2 years without a contract and have worked much of the last decade without one.  Sal is a community member who runs the PAL in Merrick, coaches lacrosse in Bellmore-Merrick and ice hockey at Newbridge Rink.
 
For those of you who do not know, the Roosevelt school district is just west of the BMCHSD, on the other side of the Meadowbrook Parkway.  The Roosevelt teachers will be meeting at the Western Beef parking lot at 322 Nassau Rd, Roosevelt, NY between 3:30 and 4:00.  From there they will be dividing into three groups to demonstrate and hand-out informational flyers in front of each of their three elementary schools.
 
I know that any help would be much appreciated by the Roosevelt teachers.
 
In Solidarity,
Rob

Since the number of bona fide candidates who were nominated was less than or equal to the number of delegate vacancies, this election has been dispensed with, and all the candidates are declared elected to the position of delegate.

 
The delegates are:
 
Jason Elias - Calhoun H.S.  

Andrew Franklin - Mepham H.S.
Brian Moeller - Calhoun H.S.
Bill Morris - Mepham H. S.
Dennis Urban - Kennedy H.S.
Rob Walsh - Mepham H.S.

Ronald Dinehart & Anthony Dolisi, Investment Advisors from AXA Equitable, will be visiting Merrick Avenue Middle School next week. Please see the attached flyer for details.   ​

Please wear your BMUST shirt FRIDAY to display your union solidarity.  ​

Colleagues,


Greetings, I hope this note finds you well.  As you may be aware, the New York State legislature has modified the law governing paid time off to vote in elections.  The law states “A registered voter may, without loss of pay for up to three hours, take off so much working time as will enable him or her to vote at any election.”  Please note that the law also states:


1.     If the employee requires working time off to vote the employee shall notify his or her employer not less than two working days before the day of the election.  (Forms to request the time off can be found in the main office.)
 2.     The employee shall be allowed time off for voting only at the beginning or end of his or her working shift, as the employer may designate, unless otherwise mutually agreed
Polls in New York are open from 6 am – 9 pm on Election Day.  New York now has several days of early voting in Nassau and Suffolk counties as well as throughout New York City.  The intent of the law, I believe, is to give those who might otherwise be disenfranchised because of work obligations the opportunity to vote.  If needed, you are certainly entitled to the time, I only ask that you use this right judiciously.  It is my understanding that any missed mandated training will need to be made up at a future date.  Attached is a copy of the law.  The district has a posting on the main office bulletin board in every building.
 
In Solidarity,
Rob

Greetings!

I hope this email finds you well and that you have had a wonderful start to the school year.  Thanks to Pete Brideson for putting together the great packet summarizing the 403-B and 457-B savings plans offered by the district.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to read it yet, I encourage you to do so before the visits by the representatives from AXA and Voya . See attached.

Keep your eyes open for our annual retirement session with Hank Sessa.  Hank is a retired teacher and an expert on all things having to do with the New York State Teacher Retirement System (NYSTRS) and retirement planning.  Please know that this session is informative for, and beneficial to, ALL teachers, not just those close to retirement.   

Finally, I have fielded a couple of questions concerning healthcare benefits in retirement.  As fate would have it, New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) is hosting a workshop to discuss healthcare coverage in retirement entitled “What Every Retiree Should Know About Health Insurance”.  The workshop will be held on October 7 at Newbridge Road School in North Bellmore.  Please find the details below.

Should you have any questions or concerns about this or anything else, please do not hesitate to reach out by emailing president@bmust.net or calling 516-992-1068.  

In solidarity,
Rob 

“What Every Retiree Should Know About Health Insurance” 

NYSUT will present a workshop on health insurance in retirement entitled What Every Retiree Should Know About Health Insurance.  This workshop will briefly present the various structures and components of health insurance plans.  We will then be able to more deeply examine health insurance issues faced by NYSUT retirees in Long Island. Particular emphasis will be placed on the interaction between NYSHIP and Medicare, as well as Medicare Advantage Plans.

The workshop will be held on October 7 at 4:00 in the auditorium of Newbridge Road School (1601 Newbrige Road, North Bellmore, NY 11710).
Registration is not necessary.

--
Rob Walsh
President
 ​

BMUST Members are invited to participate in Veteran’s Day (Monday, November 11th) this year by showing their support for our Veterans by making a donation to The United Way, entitling you to a short sleeved “Mission United” t-shirt or bandanna.

All of the funds raised through the sale of Mission United items will directly benefit United Way of Long Island’s Veteran assistance programs, which supports Long Island military veterans and their families as they transition to civilian life by addressing issues from financial needs to healthcare resources and educational programs.
We encourage members to participate in this valuable public expression of our support for our Veterans.  Additionally, those who participate help to showcase teachers in a positive light.
·       PURCHASE A SHIRT OR BANDANNA BY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10th
·       RECEIVE YOUR “MISSION UNITED” ITEM
·       WEAR THE T-SHIRT OR BANDANNA (or both!) ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8th
 
Thank you,
Rob Walsh, BMUST President
Bruce Reed, BMUST Public Relations
 
TWO WAYS TO ORDER BY OCTOBER 10th:

• Return the attached form to Meg Hirsch at the BMUST Office (Brookside) along with your check made payable to BMUST 
• Pay via VENMO – Username: BMUST – Include your SIZE and/or COLOR choice and SCHOOL in the notes

Voting just got easier in New York. This year, as part of a package of electoral reforms, New York adopted early voting across the state. Please see attachment for early voting dates, times, and locations in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. You can also click https://my.lwv.org/new-york-state/new-york-state-early-voting for more information.

Dennis Urban
BMUST Political Action & VOTE-COPE Committee