Northampton Association of School Employees

April 4, 2023 Meeting Minutes of the NASE Executive Board

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Meeting of the NASE Executive Board

Tuesday,  April 4, 4:00

Ryan Road School – Room 200

APPROVED 5/2/2023

Download minutes here

In Attendance: (13 participants)

Andrea Egitto, Karen Schiaffo, Paula Rigano-Murray, Vanessa Coates-Cooney, Tammy Cook, Sharon Carlson, Erica Lamanna, Brian Bagdon, Sara Churchill-Winsor, Kim Bowler, Cyndie Ouimette, Heather Brown, Kate Fontaine, Tammy 

 

Andrea calls the meeting to order at 4:02 pm.

 

Item I: Call to Order 

  • Check-in

 

Item II: New Business

  • Working on snow day retro for snow day pay → some have received the retro pay and some have not, unsure as to why, the superintendent and business office is fighting this
    • Thought is to file a grievance with past practice around this, then to make an MOA around the language for pay for snow days
  • Brian emailed Sara around the vacation pay issues
    • Moving forward with grievance 
  • Rumors with the budget cuts that non-student facing members to be cut and that is worrisome
  • Health insurance from GIC was told to change plans since it looks out of the area → Tammy has reached out to Chad around this problem and will continue to work on this
  • Sick bank question: What is the process and do people get denied? If this is for a sick family member can this work? → Will need to do FMLA and can ask superintendent to ask to use personal sick time for family member
  • SVAHS have not received the negotiations stipends from 2022 → will send a list to Sharon to have this processed
  • Andrea and Heather met with the mayor on Monday 4/3 around the school budget concerns and issues for the upcoming fiscal year
  • Political Action Liaison (PAL) issues → questioning Hellen Woods and Veronica Douglas are appointed and shared out to MTA, confirmed that Hellen Woods and Veronica Douglas are our PALs

Item III: Secretary’s Report

MOTION: to accept the secretary’s report

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Sharon

Seconded by: Kate

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Item IV: Treasurer’s report – budget for FY23

MOTION: to accept the treasurer’s report 

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Paula

Seconded by: Tammy

Motion Approved: unanimously

 

Item V: NASE End of year party

  • All-In grant ready for the end of the year social asking for $5,000 → will be submitted with Heather and Andrea to be CC’d on the application
  • Possible dates → 1st Choice: Thursday, June 15th  2nd Choice: Wednesday, June 14th

 

Item VI: NPS Budget 

  • Heather and Andrea met with the mayor on Monday around the budget with doing another $100,000 per building
  • Trip to Boston had about 30 people ready to go → the hearing was canceled and will be rescheduled
    • Most likely to go out in a date in May
    • MTA will fund a bus, a room, and lunch with support/guide on a plan when at the state house
  • If the mayor does not increase then need to work on school committee to lobby the higher budget
  • If the mayor does increase then need to work on the legislature 
  • Members please communicate budget needs at city council meetings as well as with the mayor
  • Members please communicate budget needs at the legislature level for chapter 70 funding for Northampton as well as around the Fair Share Amendment funding

 

Item VII: NASE Annual Meeting

  • MTA Annual Meeting: Currently at 8 delegates going → would love to get 4 more delegates to go
    • Sara and Vanessa will be joining to make 10 total
  • NASE scholarship updates → 9 applicants, the committee will meet this week to select the 4 who will get the scholarship
  • Bylaws change was talked about at the EC meeting → FOR THE FUTURE: a committee at the beginning of the year should meet and work on earlier in the year
  • NASE Annual meeting at JFK → need snacks to be brought
    • Tammy Cook, Sara Churchill-Winsor volunteered to do
  • NASE Annual meeting at JFK → ballot forms will have names who are already nominated and 1 or 2 empty lines for write ins

 

Item VIII: Smith Voc update

  • Started the budget meeting 4/4
  • Contract is signed and in paper form → waiting for it to be shared out and posted

 

Item IX: Adjourn

MOTION: to adjourn.

Entertained by: Andrea

Moved by: Cindy

Seconded by: Sharon

Motion Approved: unanimously