Dispatch - August 20, 2008
Your Substitute Teacher Union Leaders
As the school year begins, you are fortunate to have a solid group of Milwaukee Substitute Teachers' Association (MSTA) Officers and Executive Council representatives.
There is continuity with five leaders remaining on the Council. Three new leaders will bring fresh ideas on serving the membership.
The roster of MSTA Executive Council is:
Officers Council Representatives
President - John Fiandt Gloria Gaston
Vice President - Doris Cahn Marcia Mazza
Secretary - Carol McKean Gary Sapiro
Treasurer - Carl Christopher Mary Ulander
Immediate Past President
Council Representative Vacancy
One of the MSTA Executive Council Representative positions is vacant. The Council may appoint a member to serve in this position for the 2008-09 school year.
Opportunity to Take an Active Role in MTEA
If you would like to learn more about our union and get involved in working to improve conditions for substitute teachers, you should apply for this position. You can play an important leadership role within our union because of your unique background, views, and experience working in MPS.
If appointed, your primary duty will be to participate in the monthly meetings of the Executive Council. You will discuss and make decisions on negotiations, professional development, and other issues that directly affect substitutes in MPS.
September 19 Deadline for Applications
To apply, please send a brief letter expressing your interest to MSTA President John Fiandt at the MTEA Building, 5130 West Vliet Street; Milwaukee, WI 53208. Your interest letter must be received at the MTEA Building by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 19.
Applications will be reviewed by a committee that will make an appointment recommendation to the Council.
Applying for Unemployment Benefits
Background Information
As school year employees, substitute teachers are usually not entitled to unemployment compensation benefits during the summer break. However, when the school year starts, you may qualify for unemployment benefits based on the expectation that you will be called for assignments.
How to Initiate a Claim
To start receiving unemployment benefits, you are required to call the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) at 438-7700. If you prefer, you may apply online at www.ucclaim-wi.org.
You can call weekdays between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. However, the DWD staff is very busy on Mondays. The best times to call are between 8:30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. and between 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday.
You may also call on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
When you call, an automated recording will ask for the following:
- Your Social Security number
- Your Wisconsin driver's license number
- A list of the employers you worked for during the past 18 months - including the full address (with zip code), telephone number, the first and last date you worked for each employer, and the reason you are no longer working there.
- A Personal Identification Number (PIN), a 4-digit number you make up before a call. (A voice on the phone will tell you when to enter the PIN you have chosen.) You should select a number you will remember because you will need it for all future claim calls.
After You File a Claim
After you have filed for unemployment benefits, you will receive a claim confirmation form and a handbook in the mail. If you qualify for benefits, you will receive a notice telling you the amount of benefits you can receive. The first check for most claims is paid within two weeks after the week you apply.
If you do not qualify, you will receive a notice that tells you why. If you disagree with this "initial determination," you can appeal by following the instructions which will be printed on the back of the notice.
You Must File a Claim for Benefits Each Week
You must call 438-5395 every week to file your claim for a benefit check. An unemployment week starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday. Call after the week is over. A recording will answer your call.
Questions or Need Help?
To speak to a DWD staff member about unemployment benefits, you should call 438-7713 weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Kickoff Workshop - September 23
Please mark your calendar for our union's annual dinner/workshop for substitute teachers. It will be held after school on Tuesday, September 23. You will receive an invitation by mail in early September.
Political Action Rebate Reminder
Starting with the September 19 paycheck, the MTEA membership dues amount of $15.21 will be deducted from 20 biweekly paychecks for 2008-09. This deduction includes a 23¢ contribution to the MTEA's Political Action Fund. This amount is separated from your dues payment and used for local political action purposes - primarily to support candidates for the MPS School Board.
Members may request a rebate if they do not wish to contribute to the MTEA's Political Action Fund. Based on the MTEA Constitution, to request an MTEA-PAC rebate of $4.60 for 2008-09, you must send a written request to MTEA Executive Director Tom Morgan. Your request must be received at the MTEA Building by October 1.
Special Note for Those Paying Fair Share
If you have not joined the MTEA, a fair share amount will automatically be deducted from each paycheck in which you have worked 1.5 days or more during that pay period.
The fair share amount will not include the 23¢ contribution for political action purposes. You do not need to request a refund because political action monies will not be deducted from any of your paychecks.
Back-to-School
The 2008-09 school year is approaching fast. The year-round schools are already in session. For most members:
- The first workday, organization day, is Thursday, August 28.
- Friday, August 29, is the first banking day for most schools.
- Students start on the Tuesday after Labor Day, September 2.
See the complete calendar here.
First Paycheck - September 19
Days you may work from the start of this school year and September 5 will be paid on the September 19 paycheck.