Dear Colleagues,

Our contract funding bill has stalled in the House  Ways & Means Committee. It is important that you  act now to move our contract forward in the funding process - or we risk not  getting our MCCC contract funded this year - or at all.

Recent lobbying:

In the past months MCCC and MTA higher education  union leaders and members have met with many legislators to push for the  funding of the MTA higher ed contracts that await action in the  House Ways & Means Committee. However, the House has shown no inclination  to act on these contracts. Last week, I joined MTA higher ed. union presidents  in a meeting with the House Speaker's Education Director to request that the  Speaker commit to funding the higher ed. contract bills this session. We  are now awaiting Speaker Robert DeLeo's response and expect to hear from his  office by Wednesday or Thursday of this week.  Your calls to the State House this Tuesday could pressure the Speaker and  Chairman Charles Murphy of the House Ways & Means Committee to act  favorably on our contracts.
 
Tuesday, June 1st - Lobbying Day  for Contract Funding:
 
On Tuesday, June 1st, please join MTA colleagues from  the state colleges and universities in a statewide lobbying campaign to honor  and fund our higher ed. contracts. Every higher ed. member is  being asked to make calls to the State  House to pressure legislators to move the contract funding  bills out of the House Ways & Means Committee and to the House floor  for a vote. Your action is desperately needed this Tuesday if we are to  succeed in this lobbying effort. (If you do not receive this email in  a  timely way, but could make these calls on Wednesday morning, please lobby  targeted legislators then.)

Make the following three calls to the State  House:

• 1.  Call your Representative:  
• Ask to talk with your representative or a legislative  aide and request that the representative support the funding of our  MCCC contract (bundled in HB 4396). Ask your representative to  contact both Chairman  Murphy of the House Ways & Means Committee  and Speaker  DeLeo to request their support for funding  our contract as well. The bill must first be voted on favorably  by the House Ways & Means Committee. Then it will move to the House  floor for a vote.  
• To  find out who your State Representative is, go  to: http://www.wheredoivotema.com     
• To  reach your legislator by phone, call  the main State House number (617-722-2000) and ask to be connected to your  legislator.    
• In  addition to making this phone call, consider sending an email to  your representative. Related email contact information can be found  at: http://www.mass.gov/legis/memmenuh.htm
• 2.  Call Chairman Charles Murphy's  office:  
• Ask the Chairman - through his legislative aide,  perhaps one in charge of education policy, to support a favorable vote by  the House Ways & Means Committee on the funding of our MCCC contract  (bundled in HB 4396). Emphasize that you want this bill acted upon  ASAP and moved to the House floor, so it can be voted on this legislative  session.  
• Chairman Murphy's contact information:  
• Phone: 617-722-2990  
• Email: Rep.CharlesMurphy@hwm.state.ma.us
• Call Speaker Robert  DeLeo's office:  
• Ask to speak with Education Director Tom Moreau.  Indicate you would like him to ask the Speaker to commit  to the funding of our MCCC contract (bundled in HB 4396). Emphasize  that you want our contract acted upon ASAP and would like the  Speaker's support in getting this bill moved out of the House Ways  & Means Committee and to the House floor, so it can be voted on  favorably this legislative session.  
• Speaker DeLeo's contact information:  
• Phone: 617-722-2500
• Email: Robert.DeLeo@state.ma.us

Communicating your message to House  legislators:

• First introduce yourself, indicating your  title/type of work at a particular community college, and state  that you live and vote in the representative's district. Clearly state the  purpose of your call - the funding of the MCCC contract bundled in HB 4396.  If possible and given the time, spend a few minutes emphasizing some key  points. If sent to voice mail, leave a brief, but focused message.  
• Note that it is always relevant to share why the  funding of this contract is important to you (i.e. doing more with less,  struggling with health insurance/care costs, impact on you and on students  given the increased enrollment demands at your particular college and/or   your particular work area or program).  
• Review this "Just the Facts" document if you want more  background on the contract funding process to date and the relevant talking  points. If given the time, some key points I would emphasize are:  
• Contracts were negotiated with full consideration  given to the gravity of the state's fiscal situation. That is why the  contract includes a wage freeze for an entire year and allows  for only a 1 1/2  percent salary increase in the  following year.  
• As state employees, we negotiate contracts with no  control or consideration given to the costs of health insurance premiums,  co-pays, or deductibles - all of which were greatly increased in the last  two years. So, in essence, we are currently earning far less, not taking a  zero year.  
• Our contract was negotiated in good faith  with the assumption that once it was bargained and ratified, it  would, in fact, be funded. Not to have a negotiated and ratified  contract funded removes the possibility of good faith bargaining and  makes a mockery of the entire collective bargaining process.  
• The governor has signed and requested that  legislators fund this contract, so the next step is for the House Ways  & Means Committee to act on this request. it is the moral and legal  obligation of the Legislature now to act favorably on this contract  funding bill.  
• Legislators all understand the importance of an  educated citizenry and productive workforce to fuel the  state's economy and create healthy communities. But effective public  higher education, including the recruitment and retaining of quality  faculty and professional staff, is not possible if the state refuses to  fund the bargained contracts of those who implement our community college  mission.
• Close by thanking them.

I know this is a last minute request - on very short notice.  That being said, if every MCCC chapter and SAC leader as well  as every MCCC member who receives this message makes these  calls to the State House on Tuesday - June 1st, we will be sending a very  powerful message to fund these contracts. Remember this is an election  year. It is important that your voices are heard by these  legislators.

Please call State House leaders, and then ask a colleague to  do the same. Your calls today could make the difference in funding our  contracts tomorrow - or not.

As always, thank you for responding to this important  political action request.

In solidarity,

Donnie

Diana (Donnie) McGee
MCCC Vice President & SAC Chair