Posted 3-30-2019 (Dated 3-29-2019) Negotiations update as open enrollment begins

MARCH 29, 2019 Health coverage (EUTF) open enrollment The Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF) provides medical, chiropractic, prescription drug, dental, vision and life insurance benefits to all eligible State of Hawaii, City and County employees and retirees. Now is the time when you should stop and think about health coverage for yourself and your family, and determine which plans will best meet your needs. Open enrollment runs April 1 through April 30, 2019. The plan and new rates will be effective July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. Open enrollment is your once-a-year opportunity to make changes to your health plan enrollment without experiencing a qualifying event. During open enrollment, you can: Add a plan, change from one plan to another, or drop a plan, Add an eligible dependent or drop a dependent, or Change coverage tiers such as changing from single to family or family to two-party. You are not required to do anything if you wish to remain with your current plan. Save the date! If you have any questions, join us on Thursday, April 4, at 4:30 p.m. on HSTA's Facebook page. We will hold a Facebook Live with an EUTF representative regarding open enrollment. More on open enrollment Settlement close; HSTA's current bargaining could affect your insurance plan HSTA and the state met to negotiate for about three hours on Wednesday about the future of 21 hours of job-embedded professional development as well as increases in employer contributions to health care premiums for the next two years. We believe we are close to reaching a settlement. Stay tuned to your Member Matters email for updates in the coming days, since we have to reach agreement by mid-April so the legislature can fund the settlement. The rates currently listed on EUTF's rate sheet are a continuation of the current monthly employer contributions. Once an agreement is reached, the updated contribution rates will be published. Share your feedback on school discipline Are you seeing or struggling with escalating student behavior? Do you have to deal with a student who resorts to violence, yelling or swearing, bullying or cyberbullying, disobedience, highly disruptive or unmanageable behavior, or cutting class? The Hawaii State Teachers Association wants to hear from you. Your feedback will help us as we work collaboratively with the Department and Board of Education on solutions for school-level support to improve student discipline. Take the survey Fight back against anti-union, anti-teacher emails Earlier this month, Hawaii public school employees received spam emails through the Hawaii Department of Education’s Lotus Notes email system. This email violated DOE policy and your privacy. Click on this link* to learn more about: What to do with illegal spam messages sent to your email, What action you can take to report it, What to say to others who may ask you about it, and Who's behind these unethical emails. Fight back now* *This information is available on HSTA's members-only section of our website. You must be an active HSTA member and logged in with your registered account to view this. Hawaii Classroom Experience Summit K-12 teachers and educators, as well as principals, administrators and more, are invited to this event presented by Microsoft and Pacxa on April 9. Attend a panel discussion with EdTech experts and explore topics such as tools for students with disabilities, cybersecurity and cloud computing. Event details HSTA throws baby shower for members The event was a one-stop shop to address questions regarding leave, benefits and finances that come with a new addition to the family. Guests were also treated to lunch, baby shower games and fun giveaways. View our online resources Night at the museum Seventy students from Ilima Intermediate School recently spent a night at Bishop Museum. The overnight outing included a planetarium show, scavenger hunt and after-hours exploration. Learn more about the experience Public school funding bill stalls in House Finance chair Sylvia Luke says she will not consider a measure to raise the general excise tax by 0.5 percent for school funding. HSTA President Corey Rosenlee responds How a teacher became a princess In her own words, Waianae Elementary teacher Deanna Choy explains why she decided to enter the Narcissus Queen Pageant and what she gained from the experience. Here's her story Hawaii Public Radio call for volunteers Join fellow HSTA members and take pledges by phone during Hawaii Public Radio’s fundraiser on Saturday, April 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. Help raise money for a statewide broadcaster that provides trusted, comprehensive news coverage as well as diverse music and cultural programming. On-street parking will be reimbursed—HPR provides you with quarters to feed the meters! To sign up, email or text HSTA Communications Committee Member Anthony McCurdy at amccurdy808@gmail.com or (808) 675-6859. View all recent stories on HSTA's website