LAMPHERE FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
AFT Michigan #1614
May 2008

Bargaining Team--LFT Members will be represented at the bargaining table by Chris Anderson, Barb Buczynski, Amy Keller, Art Maisano, Judy Schram, Beth Sabo and our AFT-Michigan representative Liz Duhn.  The team will be bargaining later this month. Please make sure that you return the Contract Survey form to your building rep.

Letter Carriers Food Bank Drive--This Saturday, May 10th is the day your unionized postal carrier will be collecting items for local food banks. Leave your perishable goods near your mailbox. Help the community and your carrier's union sponsored event.

Lobby Day--Thank you to Ross Cardew, Dave Wrobel, Donna Bush, Michelle Charron, and Beth Sabo for participating in Lobby Day. We spent part of the day speaking to our legislators about several important issues and proposed legislation that could affect you in the workplace.

American@Work Union Industries Show--Want to buy union made products? Come to the America@Work Trade Show. This year it is in Detroit at Cobo Hall on May 16 -18th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.   Admission is free. There are activities for children and demonstrations by unionized workers of their work. On Saturday May 17 at 1:30 p.m. the annual meeting of the Michigan Labor History Society will take place in Cobo Hall. It is open to the public. The theme is "Looking Back, Moving Forward Through MusicWhere the Labor Movement Has Been and Where We Need to Go." Retired UAW Vice President Marc Stepp is a featured speaker as well as AFT-Michigan organizer, Lynn Marie Smith known as the "Motown Diva." It will be worth the trip!

AFT Michigan Convention --Thank you to the LFT delegates who spent part of their weekend at the convention. The work of Chris Anderson, Barb Buczynski, Denise Jackson, Amy Keller, Michelle Charron, Beth Sabo, Judy Schram and Dave Wrobel are appreciated.  

PAC Fund Drive--The AFT Michigan Political Action Contribution Fund Drive is on. The goal is to help to elect public officials in the state of Michigan who will support our issues in the workplace. The LFT goal is to collect $25 from each member, but give what you can afford and remember our issues are directly affected by the who is elected to the legislature and other public offices.

Congratulations: To LFT retirees, Jolyn Hindelang, Bob Fuchs and Greg Gordon. Enjoy!

Why Wait When You Can Start Saving Now?
The new TeachersDisCount is now in full-swing. If you are a member of the AFT or the NEA, you can start saving now. Visit TeachersDisCount.biz to learn more and sign up. If you haven't signed up yet, this program deserves your serious consideration. It is the same kind of discount program that Wall Street investment banks use to attract and reward employees, and now, for the first time, it's available to teachers. Use the website to sign up for updates. Once there's a critical mass on board, you will be able to start saving, too. (from the Teachers Count Newsletter)

EXECUTIVE PAYWATCH SITE SHOWS CONTINUING EXCESSES IN CEO SALARIES
The latest information on CEO salaries from the AFL-CIO shows that even as the subprime mortgage crisis has led to soaring numbers of home foreclosures, top executives at the financial companies that helped created the crisis continue to earn outrageous salaries. "When CEOs are paid obscene amounts to make bad decisions, it hurts average Americans who hold mortgages, have bank accounts and who are invested, such as through their pensions," said AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer Richard Trumka in announcing the latest version of the federation's Executive PayWatch Web site. The site features seven case studies that show how compensation packages create incentives for CEOs to gamble on risky ventures in hopes they will lead to short-term increases in stock prices, but at the expense of the long-term future of their companies and shareholders. It also includes a comprehensive database of new CEO pay figures. [Read more.]

Respectfully Submitted,

Judy Schram, LFT President

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