Hi ,

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

In his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation is the ability of each individual to make of himself the master of his own fate." It was a speech full of inspiring hope for America and its citizens. King didn't just talk about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that helped give blacks equal access to jobs, housing, education, and voting; he spoke on how people can work together to help change the world for the better. As we take time off work to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr., continue to work together to help change the world for the better.

One such change, demand that your pay be equal to the national average. The Guam Legislature approved funds for a study to update the Educator Pay Scale; however, the Governor of Guam has not submitted her plan to the Guam Legislature yet. The rest of the Government of Guam needs to continue demanding that the Guam Legislature fund the update to their pay scale as well.

Double Pay

GFT filed its appeal to the Guam Supreme Court on the Double Pay issue. GFT claims that all employees who had to report to work during the COR 1 emergency at the beginning of the pandemic must receive double pay. The Government says that double pay must only be given if the entire agency closed down. With that intent, no one who is supposed to report to work will ever receive double pay. This will affect over 500 employees such as school aides, administrators, police officers, nurses, firefighters, and anybody else who needs to maintain the health and safety of the island during a COR 1 emergency. GFT will continue to fight for the rights of the employees. For more information, see Plaintiffs oppose dismissal of double pay class action suit.

GDOE Teachers’ Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)

The current CBA is good, but it is not perfect. If you have recommendations for change, please email sharma@gftunion.com your concerns. The focus should be on policies and procedures that support teacher retention and student learning. The CBA will be in place for at least 5 years once negotiated. So far, the changes include:

1.     Due dates for grades.

2.     Prohibition against hybrid teaching. Use one model of learning only.

3.     Counseling concerns (as mentioned in grievance outcome)

4.     Address workload expectations.

5.     Dress code (scarfs, hats, and other items that some administrators prohibit).

6.     Timelines to provide input on standards and grading practices.

Announcement: AFT Convention 2022 Delegate Call for Nominations

The 2022 American Federation of Teachers Convention will be held July 14-17, 2022, in Boston.

This 87th biennial convention is the most important policy-making body of the federation. The vitality and democracy of the union depend upon participation in the convention by delegates from all affiliates in good standing. Important resolutions, constitution and bylaws amendments, as well as the election of the AFT president, secretary-treasurer, executive vice president, and 43 vice presidents, will be in the hands of delegates from each state.

Candidacy forms will be available on the gftunion.com website and at the GFT Office on Friday, January 21, 2022, 8 a.m. to Friday, February 4, 2022, 5 p.m. Election day is on March 19, 2022. GFT can seat 19 (unofficial count) members for the Convention. Candidates that receive the greatest plurality will be elected. Criteria for travel reimbursements include at least two of the following: 1. involvement with negotiations; 2. attended two GFT General Membership meetings in the last three years; 3. attended two GFT Executive Council meetings in the last three years; 4. and served on a committee representing GFT. Expectations, promissory note forms, and more information are available at the GFT office prior to the candidacy period.