If passed, these bills will:  Limit the union and employers' ability to hold down the costs on prescription drug coverage, which ultimately means your co-pay costs for prescriptions will skyrocket; and, these bills attack the union's right to collectively bargain for its membership to achieve the best overall prescription drug benefit package.  Remember, nothing in state or federal law requires your employer to provide prescription drug coverage for active and retired employees.  If costs become too prohibitive this benefit could be lost in Michigan.

MEAP Testing In the Fall--At the last State Board of Education Meeting the board received a report from State Superintendent Tom Watkins regarding the current status of MEAP scores.  The report announces that the Department is on target to get this Winter's elementary and middle school MEAP results back to the schools by May 7 and to get the Education YES! Report Cards to the public by the first of August.  The memo also raised the idea of elementary and middle school MEAP test be changed from a late January/early February testing time to a Fall time period (Sept/Oct) in order for schools to receive the results during the school year.  The State Board has taken no action on this proposal but the Department will be considering it, possibly for the meeting next month.  What do you think of moving the MEAP to the Fall?  Please e-mail Julie Matuzak - jmatuzak@mftsrp.org - with your thoughts.  She will compile your thoughts and share them within the MFT&SRP.

MEASURES FOR PROGRESS UNDER NCLB INCOMPLETE, STUDY WARNS --A new study released by the Northwest Evaluation Association confirms that the adequate yearly progress (AYP) measures used to determine whether a school is failing under the No Child Left Behind Act do not provide a complete picture for judging school effectiveness. The study demonstrates what the AFT has been arguing for some time--that schools making substantial progress but that fall short of the AYP cutoff are penalized while other schools that meet AYP requirements are making less than expected growth. The study identifies significant academic differences among schools judged to be meeting AYP measures and concludes that academic growth data are essential to give a complete picture of success. For a summary or to register for the full report, "Individual Growth and School Success," go to http://www.young-roehr.com/nweastudy/

LATEST JOBS REPORT: BEHIND EVERY SILVER LINING--
The U.S. Department of Labor this month reported that payrolls expanded by a robust 308,000 in March, but behind the headlines lie some stubborn and disturbing trends in the job market. Even with the latest gains, payrolls remain 323,000 below their level at the start of the economic recovery in November 2001, and 2 million below their pre-recession peak, the Economic Policy Institute notes. Jobs in manufacturing were flat in March--the first month since August 2000 that employment in this high-paying sector did not decline--and manufacturing remains 3 million jobs below its pre-recession peak. The share of long-term unemployed (those jobless for at least six months) jumped to 23 percent of the workforce, its highest reading since July 1983, and the number of "involuntary part-time workers" soared by 296,000 in March. And the latest numbers were not heartening for those fortunate enough to have jobs but who still struggle to make ends meet. March saw a fall in the average workweek to 33.7 hours, and for the past four months, wages have grown only 2.3 percent, less than the rate of inflation.

MICHIGAN LECTURERS HOLD ONE-DAY STRIKE--In its ongoing struggle to win job security and better pay, the Lecturers' Employee Organization (LEO) at the University of Michigan held a one-day strike on April 8. The union took the job action on all three campuses, effectively shutting down five buildings and bringing work on construction projects to a halt. LEO, affiliated with the Michigan Federation of Teachers & School-Related Personnel/AFT, comprises 1,400 nontenure-track faculty at the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses. The lecturers voted for union representation in April 2003 and have been negotiating for their first contract since August. About 300 LEO members began picketing at dawn, shortly after the administration missed a deadline the union had set to agree on adequate compensation and job security. Pickets lasted until 4:30 p.m., culminating in a rally at the administration building in Ann Arbor. LEO president Bonnie Halloran called the day a great success and cited strong support from other unions at the university and in the area.

BIG AFT SAVINGS AT HOTEL ROYAL PLAZA IN ORLANDO
AFT members can get big savings when staying at the Hotel Royal Plaza in Orlando, Fla. It's a union hotel in the heart of downtown Disney, providing complimentary transportation to the Disney theme parks. Hotel Royal Plaza is offering a special AFT 2004 Union Leisure Rate to members and their families. Call 800/248-7890, ext. 2500, to check rates, or visit http://www.royalplaza.com. Book early to secure your discount and rooms.

Respectfully submitted,

 Judy Schram

LFT Vice-President

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