AFT CALLS ATTENTION TO BUILDINGS' HEALTH

Rodent and roach infestation. Mice droppings. Mushrooms growing in mold. Asbestos. Extreme heat or cold. Peeling paint and broken flooring. Nonfunctional bathrooms.

These are just some examples of the appalling conditions in thousands of our public schools, a new AFT report reveals. These conditions are adversely affecting millions of students and staff, and potentially everyone who walks through those schoolhouse doors.

“This is a health issue, a safety issue and an educational issue,” says Antonia Cortese, AFT executive vice president.

The research is unequivocal: Poor building conditions are a serious threat to the health and academic performance of students. Achievement is significantly lower in schools with poor conditions, studies show. Likewise, asthma induced by mold and other pollutants is an increasingly prevalent school health issue and a major contributor to absenteeism.

Things don’t have to be this way. Schools can be modernized or built from scratch using cost-effective and environmentally sound solutions. Many schools already are meeting these standards. The AFT believes that healthy, well-maintained schools cannot be reserved for wealthy communities. They must be available to every American.

That is why we have launched our national “Building Minds, Minding Buildings” campaign aiming to improve the conditions of deteriorating school buildings. Many of our recommendations can be found in “Building Minds, Minding Buildings: Turning Crumbling Buildings into Environments for Learning.” Go to www.aft.org to find out more.

BE A 'SQUEAKY WHEEL' ON NURSING HOME RIGHTS

The average American worker knows more about cars than nursing homes. To eliminate that blind spot, as an AFT member, you now have an important resource to help you, your parents and loved ones solve the all-too-frequent problems in nursing homes.

The guide, which can be downloaded at www.aft.org/retirement, provides plain-English advice on the ways nursing homes typically take advantage of residents, violating federal nursing home law. “20 Common Nursing Home Problems—and How To Resolve Them” offers strategies to avoid or reverse these illegal tactics.

Each problem is presented as a statement you might hear from a nursing home, followed by how you should respond. For example, “If we don’t tie your father into his chair, he may fall or wander away.” Fact: Physical restraints can’t be used for convenience or discipline. Or this one: “We must insert a feeding tube.” Fact: Tube feeding doesn’t extend the lives of people with dementia, and should be used only as a last resort. Or this: “We can’t admit your mother unless you sign on as a ‘responsible party.’” Fact: Although lots of people think this means they’re the contact person, it actually means they’re volunteering to be 100 percent financially liable.

The guide also covers Medicaid, arbitration, physical therapy and other issues.

The author, Eric Carlson of the National Senior Citizens Law Center, has handled hundreds of cases and knows the realities of nursing home life. Right in the introduction, he provides a quick overview of the Nursing Home Reform Law, based on the idea that every home should provide the care residents need to reach their highest practical level of functioning. He also points family members to nursing home watchdogs, called ombudsmen, in every state. Find yours at www.ltcombudsman.org.

Besides downloading a free copy of the 41-page guide from the AFT, you also can order a printed and bound copy for $9.95 plus shipping, with bulk discounts, by calling 202/289-6976, ext. 201, or visiting www.nsclc.org.

'PROUD TRADITION' OF AFT AVAILABLE ON DVD

the AFT’s rich legacy is intertwined with the history of America. The documentary “AFT’s History ... A Proud Tradition” provides members and the public with a sense of the principles the union has stood for since its inception. The DVD includes tributes to former AFT presidents Albert Shanker and Sandra Feldman, as well as features on the union’s response to 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. Loaded with interviews and photos, “AFT’s History ... A Proud Tradition” is available for only $10. For details, visit www.aft.org. To buy a copy, send a check for $10 to AFT Public Affairs, Attn: Laura Wojcik, 555 New Jersey Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20001.

REINSTATEMENT ORDERED FOR 20 BIA EMPLOYEES

Thanks to her union, the Indian Educators Federation (IEF), Irene Shaw and 19 of her colleagues will be back on the job at the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque, N.M.

Last fall, arbitrator Elliott H. Goldstein ordered SIPI to reinstate, with back pay, benefits and seniority, the 20 bargaining unit members who were laid off in spring 2005. IEF estimates the award at upward of $1 million. Fifteen of the 20 members laid off held staff positions. Five were instructors.

“I’m glad the union stepped in for us and took care of us,” says Shaw, who is looking forward to returning to her job as a residence specialist. “I am grateful that we had a union. [Reinstatement] wouldn’t have happened otherwise.”

SIPI, a two-year community college for Native Americans, testified that the reduction in force (RIF) was a budgetary necessity.

But Goldstein didn’t buy management’s argument. He questioned the fact that following the RIF, SIPI hired 14 new staff, at higher salaries, who basically performed the same jobs as those who were laid off.

“A lot of people in government today think unions are irrelevant,” says IEF president Pat Carr. “We think this is an important victory. People do need unions to look out for them and to protect their rights.”

The IEF defeated this petty political maneuver and will keep fighting others like it because they serve no other purpose than to undermine the success of Indian education programs, adds Carr.

It took Shaw about one year to find a new job with comparable pay. Even though she has found employment elsewhere, Shaw is looking forward to returning to SIPI.

“I’m anxious to go back,” says Shaw, adding, “everybody should have a union.”