• A Message From Our  President Kevin Moretti
• Bargaining Update
• Organizing Team Update
• Political Action Committee Update   
• Health Benefits Update 

Help us keep our members informed by forwarding this email to your colleagues using the link & at the bottom of this page.

Welcome back! To all of our new CUTA members, welcome and congratulations.

First, please mark Friday, September 7th on your calendars. This is the day of our annual Beginning of the Year Party. All District employees get together for good times and great food. Join us at the Elk's Lodge BBQ area from 3:00-6:00.

CUTA is continuing in our effort to get our name out in the community in as many positive ways as possible. Last year we cooked dinners at the Torres Shelter, helped organize the Empty Bowls event, assisted with the Patrick Ranch barn raising, Save Bidwell Mansion Fun Run, Hooked on Fishing event, and bell ringing for the Salvation Army, to name a few. We currently have several events scheduled for this year: A BBQ for the Walk to End Alzheimer's on Saturday October 13^th; our annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday October 27^th and monthly dinners at the Torres Shelter. If you are currently involved in some kind of community activity, let's work together to find 5 or 10 other members to join you. You'll be doing what you love, you'll just be doing it with a CUTA button or apron on. Joe Asnault, our Vice President, will be  putting out a What's Cool at School form. You can fill this simple form out if you are doing a cool community project, fun field trip, or top notch lesson. We will then contact media outlets to show how much teachers in Chico go above and beyond the the call of duty.

September will be an open enrollment month for The Standard Disability Insurance program. I encourage you all to consider signing up. There will be plenty of details to follow.

This November's election will be crucial for all unions in California. If Proposition 32 passes, unions will lose their political voice. I've got to give credit to the proponents of Prop 32. Their TV ads make it appear that the proposition will curb the power of corporations, while just the opposite is true. Currently corporations outspend unions fifteen to one. If Prop 32 passes, it will be fifteen to none. We will be doing site visits to explain all the details. I encourage you to attend these important, informational meetings.

Have a great school year,

Kevin Moretti

Welcome back to another school year. We are hoping that ALL of us had a restful summer. As we enter into 2012/2013, we will be faced with many challenges as well as many opportunities. Thanks to all site captains and head reps for helping the organizing team to share and to distribute information to all of our members last year. Kudos to all of you who rose to the "Do Your ONE Thing," (or more) challenge. It was so awesome to see our members representing our union in positive ways such as providing and serving dinners to the residents of the Torres Shelter. Another opportunity to take part in a rewarding community event is coming up this fall: The Walk for Alzheimers. Look for more information in future emails and updates. On that note, we would like to encourage everyone to focus and to follow through with three things for the remainder of the school year. They are the 3S Goals:

1. STAY Informed                                                      

2. STAND United                                                       

3. SUPPORT Each Other

                                        Stay informed - read ALL information you receive from CUTA. Stand united - if requested, do your part to demonstrate our solidarity by showing up. Support each other - we are responsible for our work relationships and environments. Do what you can to make each day better for everyone around you.  Remember that we are as strong as our membership. We wish you all a smooth start to the school year.

                      Jenn and Bill Flory (Organizing Chairpersons)

I hope everyone has had an enjoyable and restful summer. As PAC Chairperson I want to update you on some items that are of particular importance to us as teachers in the November election.

• CUSD School Board Election: Four persons have filed to be candidates for the two seats that will be on the ballot: Liz Griffin(an incumbent), Erik Lyon, Gary Loustale, and Linda Hovey. If you know any of these people or know about them would you please email me at marley6sf@yahoo.com. The Political Action Committee will be setting up interviews with the candidates soon. After the interviews, we will make our recommendations as to who we want to endorse.
• There are two propositions on the November ballot whose results will impact us both as teachers and union members. Proposition 30 will prevent $6 billion more dollars from being cut from public schools. In the past four years our schools and colleges have been cut by more than $20 billion and more than 40,000 educators have been laid off. We must vote YES ON 30 and urge everyone one we know to do so.   Propositon 32 is a very deceptively worded proposition. While it claims to to be about stopping special interest money in politics, its real intent to to prohibit educators and other union members from having a voice. NO on 32.   If you want more information on these propositions you can go to www.cta.org or you can email me at marley6sf@yahoo.com

The Red plan increased to $949 from $898 for 2012-2013 on July 1, 2012. The $51 increase will be split 50/50 between the CUTA member and the district as per contract language, resulting in a $25.50 pmpm (per member per month) automatic deduction from their paycheck. Note: Health benefits are currently open for negotiations; no agreement has been reached yet. Retirees are not offered the Red plan by the JPA/BSSP, and all retiree benefits received a rate pass, which means there is no increase in the premium. Currently CUSD retirees receive the Blue plan.

Red Plan Changes:

            1.   Additional Rx utilization management- A series of steps will be implemented to make sure less costly drugs are used first before a more costly alternative medicine is prescribed.

            2. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available to all CUSD employees at not cost is changing to a different provider: Magellan Health Services.

            3. Co-insurance rate will increase from 10% to 15% and there will not be an increase to the out of pocket (OOP) amount. (Same total as before, it will just accrue faster.)

Medco: Medco Health Solutions, Inc. and Express Scripts have become one company, and there will be no change to the member's Rx mail order service.

Ambulance Coverage: Retroactive to September 1, 2011, Anthem will provide coverage "as billed" for ambulance services, less any deductible and co-insurance.

Wellness Campaign: "Healthy Habits" is a wellness program that is being implemented with employee incentives to encourage active employees and their spouses/RDPs to utilize health screenings, preventative exams, and wellness services and to sign up for the BSSP's newsletter.