School districts from around the state have been trying to restore Foundation Aid funding for many years. This money was promised and allocated but was withheld due to the financial crisis in 2008. While the crisis has passed, the promised funds have never been passed on to the school districts.


Bellmore-Merrick alone is owed close to $8.5 million dollars. Add in the four component elementary districts, and the total rises to over $11 million dollars.
The Long Island Presidents’ Council (LIPC), which BMUST is a member of, is starting a letter writing campaign to Governor Cuomo, our State Senators and our Legislators urging them to restore the Foundation Aid money.
I’m asking everyone to complete the three attached letters and mail them to Governor Cuomo, Senator Brooks and Assemblyman McDonough as soon as possible. The LIPC is hoping this “encouragement” might expedite the dispensing of the funds. I will ask our PTA’s to participate and I’ve shared this with administration too.
This benefits all of us so please participate in this campaign.
In solidarity,
Mark

I encourage ALL staff members to examine the work you have had outside of Bellmore-Merrick. IF YOU DON’T HAVE A MyNYSTRS ACCOUNT, PLEASE CREATE ONE. It’s the best way to keep up to date about your pension. Check into any work that may give you service credit. Too many NYSUT and BMUST members are leaving money on the table. Money that could increase your final pension, possibly hundreds of dollars every month. It’s up to you to claim the service credit, so please investigate this as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more it costs to buy back the service time.

In solidarity,
Mark
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PENSION
Your pension is based on four factors: tier of membership; total service credit; age at retirement; and, final average salary.
It is important to have all the credit for which you are eligible because your total service credit impacts your eligibility for NYSTRS benefits – and often the amount of those benefits. The following types of service can build your credit and help you reach important service milestones:

• Member Services
• Prior NYS Service
• Out-of-State Prior Service
• Transferring Credit
• Reinstatement Credit
• Military Service
• Benefit Enhancement (Article 19)
• New York City Subsequent Service

-- 
Mark Steinberg

President
​

BMUST belongs to the Long Island Teachers’ Benevolent Fund (LITBF), which offers a yearly scholarship, (the Len Motisi Memorial Scholarship) to high school seniors graduating this year, who will be attending a post-secondary institution on a full time basis and whose parent is an active teacher in a Long Island local. Many of our members’ sons and daughters have been awarded this scholarship over the years.  
The attached application must be sent back to me at the BMUST office no later than March 8, 2019 to get my signature on it and for me to send it to LITBF before the deadline of March 15, 2019.  We are also putting the form on our website, www.bmust.org. 
You must include a copy of the school transcript, with the current GPA on it and include a copy of the SAT or ACT scores.  If the transcript does not contain the GPA, your Guidance Counselor must submit a statement with the scores. Please fill the form in as soon as possible and forward it to me through inter-office mail.
Please note, you are now required to included you NYSUT Member Number on the application. If unknown, please reach out to Meg in the BMUST office.
 
Good luck.

Robert G. Porter Scholars Program
The Robert G. Porter Scholars Program offers four 4-year, $8,000 post-secondary scholarships to graduating senior students who are dependents of AFT members, as well as 10 one-time $1,000 grants to AFT members to assist with their continuing education and/or fund their proposed ideas to strengthen and grow their union.

For more details and eligibility requirements, see attached.
​

As a reminder, all transfer requests need to be submitted to the Personnel Office no later than March 1, 2019.
​

Please take a moment to read the following memo and attachments that were shared by NYSUT. BMUST has contributed $500 from VOTE COPE to the Los Angeles Teachers Strike Fund.

By now I'm sure you have heard that the 31,000 members of the United
Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) went on strike Monday against the Los
Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

The outcome of this strike will have profound implications for the
future of public education, much as the successful Chicago Teachers'
Union strike did in 2012 and the statewide strikes in West Virginia,
Oklahoma and Arizona did last year.

It is critically important that all educators understand the issues
that brought L.A. teachers to this juncture and what's really at stake
-- for all of us --  in this epic battle. While poor wages and working
conditions are certainly part of the story, the greater issue is the
LAUSD's refusal to use available funds to improve desperately inadequate
learning conditions and its apparent determination to dismantle itself
in order to turn over the education of L.A.'s more than 500,000 students
currently not in charter schools to for-profit corporate charter
operators.

Please take a few moments to read the two attached articles to get the
full picture.

After reading the articles, I encourage you and your members to
consider sending a donation to the UTLA strike fund as I have just done.
Your local can make a donation. Remember, the fight UTLA is waging is
for all of us -- professional educators, students, parents and public
education itself.

The Los Angeles Teacher/Parent Strike Solidarity Fund was set up by
Reclaim Our Schools Los Angeles to engage parents and community members
in support of the strike. The web site link to make donations is:

https://www.aros-wearela.com/

Let's support our UTLA sisters and brothers in this fight!

Matt Jacobs
Regional Staff Director, Nassau
Office Tel: (516) 496-2035
Mobile: (516) 319-7065
Fax: (516) 921-2964
mjacobs@nysutmail.org

BE the union! www.nysut.org/unionvalue

As a result of the legislation passed and signed into law in April 2017, union members in the state of New York will have the opportunity to deduct their union dues from their state income taxes.
Two years ago, the New York State AFL-CIO, with support from unions across the state, led the charge for this legislation. And, we were successful.
Beginning this year, union members will be able to deduct their union dues from their state taxes if they itemize deductions on their state taxes. It is important to point out that tax payers can now itemize deductions on their state taxes even if they don’t itemize on their federal taxes.
These deductions will put an estimated $35 million back into the pockets of union members like you throughout our state.
By working together we can accomplish great things. Stay tuned to the New York State AFL-CIO for more opportunities to support legislative issues that will benefit working men and women in New York.
In Unity,
Mario Cilento
President New York State AFL-CIO

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