A month ago, when the Nevada Legislature was deep into the session amid the threat of balancing the budget on the backs of teachers and other public employees, I sent out an e-mail containing CCEA's promises to you, and received dozens of e-mails from members and non- members who were skeptical, critical and doubtful as to CCEA's success in maintaining these promises.

CCEA will fight attempts to impose a 4% salary reduction.

Thanks to CCEA and the negotiated contract, teachers:

• WILL NOT TAKE ANY CUT in Salary.
• Will maintain education advancement and ASC on the salary schedule.
• Will NOT have to pay out of their pockets the .375% PERS cost of living increase.
• Will maintain longevity pay.
• Will maintain experience advancement on the salary schedule.

CCEA will fight attempts to freeze salary step advancement.

• While the legislature restored funding only for education advancement (left to right) on the salary schedule and not experience (top to bottom), CCEA has negotiated NO FREEZES to any of the salary steps.

CCEA will work hard to ensure that every teacher has a job.

• Out of 18,500 teachers only 16 teachers are in danger of losing their positions due to their very limited licenses. However, CCEA is working with CCSD and those teachers who are members to keep their jobs. CCEA is working with university partners to counsel them on their options.
• CCEA worked with CCSD to avert massive layoffs which are being experienced in other states and locals, such as Arizona and California.
• CCEA worked with CCSD to ensure two transfer periods facilitating the movement of teachers so that layoffs could be averted.

CCEA will fight attempts by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce to weaken Nevada Revised Statute 288 (collective bargaining law).

• CCEA and NSEA, along with a coalition of labor unions, fought to keep the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce from decimating NRS 288, which is our collective bargaining law. The Chamber wanted to eliminate binding arbitration, invaluable in a right-to-work state. The elimination of binding arbitration would have placed the local school board as the final authority to decide contracts. As it is now, the arbitration decision is final and binding.
• Changes to NRS 288 are minimal and do not impact CCEA's ability to bargain a contract with CCSD.
• CCEA and NSEA were able to stop legislation that would have included student test scores as part of teacher evaluations.
• CCEA, NSEA and other labor unions prevented the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce from impacting CURRENT EMPLOYEES by any changes to PERS. Changes to PERS will impact new employees hired after Jan. 1, 2010.

CCEA will hold legislators accountable for finding alternative revenue sources (taxes) to prevent additional cuts to public education.

• CCEA and NSEA were instrumental in working with coalitions of legislators and other labor groups to pass 780 million in tax dollars which helped to partially fill holes in the budget.
• CCEA and NSEA were the creators of a dedicated revenue source for public education. The Room Tax Initiative (IP1) is estimated to bring in an additional $200 million.
• CCEA and NSEA were instrumental in lobbying the legislature to restore money cut from the Governor's proposed budget for health care, which keeps our Teachers Health Trust rates from going through the roof.

CCEA's Pledge to Keep You Informed

CCEA created a multi-platform approach to keep members informed and involved throughout the 2009 Session of the Nevada Legislature. It included:

• Organized a support education rally at Chaparral High School.
• Supported and participated in rallies sponsored by Nevadans for Quality Education and other pro-education groups.
• Sent more than 2,000 legislative e-mail updates on a regular basis through our legislative e-mail alerts.
• Provided updates on Facebook through NSEA's site and other Facebook accounts.
• Sent e-mails to more than 600 Association Representative contacts - the e-mails were forwarded to thousands of CCEA members.
• Sent the View from the Hill legislative e-mail updates to members, nonmembers and citizens who were actively supporting public education.
• Utilized Interact to provide pop ups that encouraged CCSD employees to visit the CCEA website for important information.
• Utilized the CCEA website to deliver the latest information in a concise, easy-to-read format to keep you abreast of the most recent developments and the association's position on the matter.
• Provided legislative contact information through the Legislative Action Center on our web page, e-mails and CCEA Express.
• Provided daily legislative updates by CCEA member Carolyn Stewart through her e-mail list, which was then forwarded to hundreds of employees.
• Provided updates through our official publication, the CCEA Express.
• Provided a replay of TV and press conference media coverage on our web page.
• Provided copies of all relevant newspaper clips to all Association Representative Council attendees to share with the membership at their work site.
• Committed CCEA representation at the Legislature -- Dane Watson and I joined the NSEA Lobby Team to ensure issues that impacted CCEA were addressed.
• Sent CCEA Advocates to Carson City during spring break to lobby legislators on important legislation impacting public education.

When people ask why they should continue their membership in CCEA, I tell them that had it not been for CCEA, I guarantee that CCSD would be cutting pay by at least 4% and possibly the 19% that the Governor proposed, would have frozen longevity pay, salary advancement steps for experience and education, and many teachers would have been laid off.

If you wonder why CCEA is relevant just look at the accomplishments we made this year in protecting our contract, benefits and jobs. Our work is not over and we cannot be content with our victories as this is just a battle won in a war being waged against public education.

I thank you, and the 13,000 members who stand behind the collective bargaining agreement, for your continued support and membership. It is through this collective strength that we are able to prevail even in difficult times.

Ruben Murillo, Jr.
CCEA President