Happy Friday UESF members. We hope that your new year resolutions are still holding strong and that the energy of 2025 is leading to the signing of all our commitment cards at your school sites. The officers of UESF want to take an opportunity to address the Supplemental Employee Retirement Plan, also known as SERP. While the conversations around this program are understandably focused on numbers, benefits and deadlines, we also wanted to pause for a second and make sure we humanize this process. While the union is actively promoting SERP, and we are hopeful that the threshold of 314 applications will be met, we also know that this will mean the retirement of our most experienced and dedicated educators. The loss is great which is why you deserve an equally great benefit and we have confirmed that your benefit package will include your base pay and any add ons applied thanks to Prop. A and LWEA.
If you are interested in retiring, now is the time to seek the information available via SERP. Make sure you are scheduling your 1 on 1 appointments as soon as possible. Feedback from members is generally positive and Keenan has been very responsive offering both online and in person meetings. The District is also in regular communication with UESF regarding any questions or concerns we may have. There is a great FAQ document listed on your employee portal which you should review. All of these resources are meant to give you confidence that you will be treated with the respect and dignity you deserve as you make this important decision. Finally, if for the unlikely reason this program doesn’t meet the threshold or is not approved by the Board of Education, we have confirmed that HR will rescind all resignations resulting from the signing of the SERP agreement.
We want our most experienced members, you who have had to endure so many years of mismanagement and disrespect from the central office but also you who have contributed the most to this union and our school communities to know that your union is looking out for and defending your interest and contractual rights. Continue reaching out to us and know that your union will continue raising your concerns and monitoring the progress of this program. Have a great weekend.
