Be there Thursday, May 21

Unity Rally and Candlelight Vigil
Legislative Mall, Dover 
Begin gathering at 5pm
Speeches and walk/vigil beginning at 6pm

Governor Markell says he's having trouble hearing us...

On Wednesday May 6, approximately 2,000 public employees held a rally in Dover to make our voices heard. But our Governor said, "...he couldn't make out what we were saying." Wilmington News Journal, May 7, 2009

Make our voices heard, Thursday, May 21!

Sign in and get your candle (with transparent red non-flammable cup) and red ribbon.
Bring your rally signs.
Shuttle busses will be available from the Blue Hen Conference Center (near Jake's).
Bring your family.
Wear your "No 8% Cuts" button. If you still need one, get one when you sign in.

We need 4,000-5,000 state workers this time. Thanks to the locals that are hiring busses!

Sponsored by State Workers United for a Better Delaware, a working coaltion of 13 state employee unions.

"Bell to Bell" Week next week, also

to show solidarity regarding devastation of 8% and more salary cut proposal

May 18 to 22 is designated by DSEA to be a "Bell to Bell" week, where locals and their members can decide how best to implement a show of unity and solidarity by walking into their buildings together and walking out together at the times specified in the contract.

Completely voluntary, local leadership teams are finding different ways to implement this idea, but the unifying notion is to remind ourselves and our communities that:

** educators already work many more hours a week than they are compensated for;
** they are already paid less than professionals with similar degrees; and
** an 8% (and more!) salary cut makes no economic sense if we want to improve the education profession and the critical, even essential services that Delalwareans rely on.  

"Bell to Bell" demonstrations are about solidarity in protesting the devastating cuts being proposed; displaying the number of extra hours of non-compensated time you work; and how an 8%-12% or more salary cut will put educators at risk of severe financial pain.

These demonstrations are in no way targeting anything to do with inidividual buildings or the local school district.

Still in the planning stages, we do know that Laurel and Brandywine are observing Bell to Bell at all schools every day; Seaford is doing all schools on Friday; Appoquininimink is doing three schools on Monday; and Lord Baltimore E.S. in Indian River is doing Bell to Bell on Tuesday and Wednesday.

What else can you do? Time for old-fashioned letters

Find names and home addresses of caucus leaders and Joint Finance Comm. members here.

Many of you have asked what you can do beyond your phone calls and e-mails to legislators, which have flooded their email boxes and phone answering machines.

Now is the time to change the technique and write letters. If there was one thing we heard from legislators at the Rally, it was, "This is great. We're behind you, but don't stop. Keep the pressure on." Why? because the General Assembly still needs to pass bills that create revenue streams to enhance and sustain the essential services provided by our local public schools and state agencies so that Delaware will continue to be a great place to live and raise a family.

Who should you write to now? Clearly, we don't have to guess. It's the members of the Financial Leadership Committee. These are the men and women who represent their caucusses: the Majority and Minority Leaders and Whips in each chamber, plus the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Temp of the Senate. They meet to determine the ratio of revenue and spending that will be in the state's budget bill. Yes, we are sharing with them various revenue ideas.
And, of course, the members of the Joint Finance Committee, are also on this same list. They begin marking up the state's budget bill for next year, next week.

It's a busy week, planned that way: Bell to Bell and Unity Rally to be held at the beginning of budget mark up. 

FORE! for future teachers

Mark your calendar for this year's benefit Golf Tournament. This is the only fundraiser for the DSEA Future Teacher Scholarship Fund.

It's a Scramble format, so you don't have to be Tiger Woods to participate. We always have lots of door prizes, as well as dinner and prizes for winning/loosing foursomes. Your local might even consider sponsoring a hole, another way we raise money for the Scholarship Fund. Some locals sponsor their own foursomes - another great idea.

The date is Friday June 19, 2009 at Jonathan's Landing Golf Club in Magnolia.

Get all the information you need here, including the registration form to sign up your foursome, sponsor a hole or just make a donation to the Christopher Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund.

The deadline to register is June 16, 2009.

Questions? Contact Tournament Coordinator Tammy Wagner by e-mail or toll-free at 1-866-734-5834.