2016
All Local Executive Board Members and Local Stewards are encouraged to attend a series of Grievance Seminars being held on Fridays at the MAP Office. The Seminars, being conducted by MAP Executive Director Fred Timpner, will provide valuable information on key grievance issues.
Seminars on Feb. 26, April 22 and June 24, 2016 will focus on contract interpretation. Discipline will be discussed at the Seminars on March 18 and May 20, 2016. Each Seminar begins at 10 a.m. and lunch will be served. Details can be found on the website Calendar.
These Seminars are limited to 12 persons on a first-come basis. Please contact Julie Palmquist at (248) 509-7158, ext. 231 as soon as possible to make reservations.
Thank you and good luck to all who applied for The 2016 Carl Parsell Scholarship. Applications are no longer being accepted for the 2016-17 school year.
In March and April, the Scholarship Selection Committee begins the selection process which is completed in May. Scholarship recipients will be notified of their status by the end of May 2016. Carl Parsell Scholarship winners are formally recognized during the 26th Annual Carl Parsell Memorial Golf Outing on June 9, 2016.
Carl Parsell Scholarships may be used to cover a portion of educational expenses, including tuition, living expenses, and other required fees during the 2016-17 school year. Scholars may use the award to attend any United States accredited university, college, community college, junior college, two or four year accredited degree-granting institution, or vocational training institution that grants a certification or license. Scholarship candidates must have completed a high school education or its equivalent, on or prior to June 30, 2016.
Funds derived from The Carl Parsell Memorial Scholarship Golf Outing determine the number of scholarships to be awarded annually. Due to an increase in funds raised because of the excellent turnout at the 2015 Annual Carl Parsell Golf Outing, MAP will be offering up to three scholarships this year to family members of union members. The maximum award available per student is $2,500. In July and August, The Carl Parsell Scholarship Fund mails Scholarship checks to each Scholar’s college or university.
Carl Parsell Memorial Scholarship Golf Outing - June 9, 2016 at Links of Novi.
Click here for more information on event.
Karoub Associates is advising MAP members to call their State Representative and voice their opposition to a package of bills TODAY which negatively affects retiree healthcare and employer contributions to health savings accounts. Jim Curran of Karoub Associates explains the 13-bill package:
Despite statements to the contrary, the House Republicans introduced a 13-bill package that would impact retiree health care for retirees, active employees and new hires at the local level.
Beginning May 1, 2017, retirees receiving benefits would be required to pay 20% of cost unless the retiree health care benefit was funded at a level in excess of 80%.
Beginning May 1, 2017, employers are limited to putting 2% of base pay into a retirement health savings account.
The main bill that enables all the rest of the package is House Bill 6074, sponsored by Speaker of the House Kevin Cotter.
Our focus needs to be the defeat of House Bill 6074.
To our MAPO members, the message is simple:
CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND TELL THEM TO VOTE NO ON HOUSE BILL 6074.
Click below to find contact information for your State Representative.
Michigan House of Representatives
The Local Government Committee met this morning, Dec. 1, 2016 from 10:30 until noon. Speaker Cotter and other legislators testified in support of the bills and then the MML testified. The House Session began at noon and ended at 3:30 p.m. The Committee is going back for further testimony. The police groups and others will testify at this time.
Rep. Chatfield, Chairman of the Committee, told the press in attendance that there will be no vote today and that the committee is tentatively scheduled to meet again on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
Keep those cards and letters coming. They are definitely having an impact.
I'll update further after committee. Information has been posted to www.mapo411.com
On a related front, the Senate adjourned at 5:00 Wednesday, Nov. 30 without taking a vote on SB 102 that would put new school employee hires into a DC plan. The Republican leadership plan was to vote it out tonight. The Snyder Administration weighed in heavily against the bill and that gave enough Republicans cover to say they weren't going to vote for SB 102. Snyder's staff testified that the bill would cost the state BILLIONS to cover the conversion cost and the cost of closing the DB plan for existing teachers.
Hopefully, the Governor will have his team publicly come out against the House retiree health care bills as strongly.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has selected Michigan State Police Troopers Jim Leonard and Rick Carlson along with Otsego County (MI) Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Holzschu as the recipients of its Officer of the Month Award for March 2016.
The three officers were called to the scene of a house fire in which a child was trapped inside. The Troopers and Deputy broke through glass doors and windows, allowing enough smoke to escape the house so they could enter and rescue an unresponsive child from his crib. For the complete article, click here.