Category: News & Updates

CODAA has worked with the administration to develop a three-part classroom observation process. Please see our link below for details.

http://www.codaa.org/documents/classroom-observation-part-time-faculty-form/

The 2012 “SURS Return to Work” law penalizes higher education institutions for rehiring and paying annuitants 40 percent or more of the highest salary they earned while contributing to SURS. An amendment to the law has passed out of committee and will be considered by the Illinois legislature. The amendment, which Senator Biss, the sponsor of the original bill, agreed to advance at the behest of the IEA Higher Education Council, would exempt from the law SURS annuitants whose annuity is less than $10,000. This means higher education institutions would be free to pay those individuals the going rate upon rehiring them to work at a higher education institution.

Please contact your legislator and ask him/her to support this legislation.  Additional information can be found here.

For more detailed information visit Capitol Watch on the IEA website.

The State Universities Annuitants Association (SUAA) has scheduled a Regional Meeting at College of DuPage for Thursday April 3, 2014. The College of DuPage Annuitants Association (CDAA) will host the meeting. The meeting agenda will include the following:

• A representative from SURS to speak about the retirees’ portion of Senate Bill1.
• A representative from SUAA to speak about the SUAA lawsuit filed against Senate Bill 1.
• A representative to speak about the new proposed SUAA Constitution.

On behalf of College of DuPage Annuitants Association, I would like to extend an invitation to the College of DuPage Part Time Faculty Association to the regional meeting of SUAA members. We at the college are very proud to serve as host for the event.We would like to stress that we feel that this is not just a routine invitation for something nice to attend; but feel, given the situation in Springfield, it is critical that currently employed College full-time and part time faculty and staff  attend and bring your hard questions.The situation regarding future and current pensions is a very fluid one and that all staffers need to be there:Currently, SUAA is one of the major retirees’ organizations that are suing the state to overturn Senate Bill #1, which if it is allowed to stand, will cost retirees tens of thousands of dollars over the life of one’s pension.
There are hot button issues, both political and policy, centering on the governor’s race that can have a real impact on the future of public pensions.
To my mind, there has never been a time in which solidarity — between full and part timers, whether faculty or staff, working or retired — was so important.  Over the years, membership in the College of DuPage Annuitants Association was something taken up when you retired.  Given the on-going crisis played out in the legislature, the governor’s office and the courts, it is essential that all public employees should have a clear grasp of the issues involved and work toward a unity to protect our pensions. CDAA is not just for retirees, but all employees.At the moment the pension issues are garnering all the headlines, but other issues (e. g. Return to Work, the future of tenure, and the future public support of higher education) loom large and should be confronted by relatively well-informed, unified public employees.I am aware that everyone is busy as educators. But I would like to urge you to join the meeting and for you to invite COD part time faculty to attend the meeting. The meeting will begin at 2pm in SRC 2000. Please utilize the link below to register for the meeting.

http://suaa.org/CODRegistrationForm.php

The Illinois economic outlook, particularly if the current temporary income tax hike is allowed to lapse, will only become worse and public employees will be among the first to be targeted.  I think it is very clear, based on the action of the legislature and governor, that the threat to public employees is real and palpable.

Very truly yours,

Sherwood Edwards

President CDAA

SURS will be hosting webinars to provide an overview of changes to SURS benefits based on PA 98-599 (SB1) that was signed by Governor Quinn December 5, 2013.

Dates are:

Wednesday, March 5th, 9:30am-11:00am
Tuesday, March 18th, 2:00pm-3:30pm
Friday, April 4th, 9:30am-11:00am

For more info: http://surs.org/news-article/021914/pension-reform-webinars

WANTED!!

Delegates

FOR THE

NEA

REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY

To be held in

DENVER, COLORADO

JUNE 26—JULY 6, 2014

Nominations due Feb. 13

CODAA will provide some funds to offset your costs. This election will be held as another mail/absentee ballot; election day is March 5. Also being elected on this date will be the Regional Council chair and vice-chair. If interested in any of these positions, please fill out the proper candidate’s nomination form. Interested individuals can also contact Vicki Root-Wajda or Colleen McCoy. ([email protected] or [email protected] ).

Candidate information

Candidate nomination form