Dear Members,

As summer draws to a close, ETEA Local 1 is preparing to enter collective bargaining.  As some of you may be aware, the executive has been engaged in discussions with ILSC management over the last month.

Today, ILSC released a memo to members stating that as of January 1, 2009, the school will no longer offer classes on Friday afternoons.  The ETEA executive was made aware of this plan, but did not endorse it.  The ETEA was given assurance that no member’s benefits would be negatively affected by this change.

The executive will meet on September 3 to discuss our next action.  There will also be a General Membership meeting held in the very near future, where members will be given a full report.  The date will be posted on September 3rd.

It is crucial that members attend this General Meeting, as these measures will affect everyone.  We will be discussing the next round of collective bargaining as well as the Friday closures.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

ETEA Executive

Bari Blackhart, Karen McCullough, Lili Meier and Lorraine Rehnby