One way you can support the HEALTH of your union is by paying attention to your voting date and hours next week. We are voting in buildings next week. We aligned different elections required of our local to make that more efficient for you. Strong voter turn out supports your local when we have #s to back up our work and show the high number of members that are engaged and take part in that. DON’T FORGET TO VOTE. BE SURE TO SIGN IN (REGISTER) TO VOTE AS WELL!

SEE THE BALLOT SAMPLE BELOW FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS.

Further voting guides will be available at the voting booth.

EPEA is also part of Ed MN Voting District W. Our of our members is running for a Governing Board seat of that district. You’ll have a separate ballot for that.

EPEA VOTED A LOCAL POSITION OF SUPPORT FOR JAMIE ALSLEBEN (Cedar Ridge teacher) IN THAT ELECTION.

You can contact Allen Lundberg if you have any questions about voting.

Better Together!

EPEA is trying to be more present at our school board meetings.

We hope to inform members and school board about our involvement.

We offer dinner before the meeting to the first 5 members. So ….

SIGN UP TO JOIN US ON MARCH 11

The negotiations team is meeting and preparing for the upcoming round!!

Your story is important to us.

* Sites have and will host input sessions as part of their EPEA meetings.

* Rep Congress has already worked through and discussed many ideas related to negotiations we are sorting through

* A short survey will be coming to gather member input.

* You can also reach out personally to your negotiations team.

Some things we hear about are not negotiable items as determined by state statute (another reason to join LOBBY DAY) and we’ll work to inform members about those areas.

It’s also important to consider that many and maybe even ‘most’ changes to contract have an associated cost and the team has to determine courses of action that support members as equitably as possible and consider changes that impact the group as a whole.

A few reps from EPEA are traveling to the legislature on March 6. We have room for one more to join us. We need to help ensure the work from November is sustained at the state level on behalf of education and educators . JOIN US. It’s fun, interesting, informative, low key, … Come along to see how it all works. Lunch on us & Sub covered by EPEA agreement.

We start at 9am on March 6 in St. Paul. Please let me know ASAP

We continue to track well regarding our claims data under self funded insurance. When self funded our claims and use of the system can directly impact our future rates.

The committee and our consultant analyze that data to inform where we can educate and perhaps, be better consumers of our benefits. For example, you may pay the same for a prescription but where you get it and the costs to the plan can be very different. This is true of procedures too when you have the benefit of time to make a decision. You can find considerable personal savings when paying deductibles and coinsurance.

The use of Virtuwell visits also can contribute to personal savings and plan savings.

The couple screen shots below show you access to tools once you are logged into Health Partners on how you can compare Prescriptions and Procedure costs at different places. Use the Compare Costs options. This is one example of an Rx.

EPEA shirts have been ordered. We should see them in next couple weeks.

Shirts for our newer members have arrived. I’m working to deliver those personally.

EPEA now has an email you can use when you are concerned about privacy. For most all communications please continue to use my school email.

When you have a question about privacy and want to be sure your communication cannot be retrieved, use a personal device that is not on district wifi and send your message to epea.epea@gmail.com. Note: I am the only person reading email on that account.

Do you have requests for EPEA News?

Do you have other feedback on EPEA News?

Please contact me or any rep.

Tom Baker, President

Allen Lundberg, Vice President

Adam Cooke, Treasurer
Cheryl Heaney, Secretary