Read the latest edition of the AFT-Lone Star newsletter THE ADVOCATE

Welcome to our April-May 2023 union newsletter The Advocate! 

We are committed to providing the Lone Star College Community with important news and quality insight into the life of our Institution.  We will keep you abreast of the work that the AFT is doing to advocate for Policy and to advocate for People – because the name of our newsletter is what we do!

Read on, dear friends!  Click here to read our lastest edition of The Advocate!

BUILD-A-CHANCELLOR - Please share your vision of what the next chancellor profile should look like. 

As employees of LSC, we are stakeholders in the future of the college. Our Union, AFT-Lone Star, would like to know what qualities, background, & experience your IDEAL chancellor would have if you could "Build-A-Chancellor". This opportunity for change is serious and your input is important. Please take a moment to share your vision of what the next chancellor profile should look like. Be assured that your anonymity will remain protected in all responses &comments. AFT Lone Star will share the polled results with the Board of Trustees.

Click here to Build-A-Chancellor

 

Join AFT Lone Star College

Union membership is strongly recommended at this time.

The future is uncertain for school employees and the students they serve.

We need to band together as one to safeguard our careers, our profession, and to advocate for ourselves and our students.

 Become a member of AFT Lone Star College! https://www.bit.ly/AFTLONESTAR-JOIN

(fill out the form)

  • Our union is a professional organization regularly engaged in the life of the college district. Membership dues support advocacy on workplace issues, training events, and career protection.
  • If you believe faculty should have a voice in educational issues, you should join.
  • If you believe employees should have a voice in the political process, you should join
  • If you believe in the value of employees helping out each other, you should join.
  • If you believe employees should be treated with dignity, fairness, and respect, you should join.
  • Your dues help support these values!
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LSC Board of Trustees Approves Critical Tax Rate

 

A hearty THANK YOU to the 130 AFT members and other employees who sent letters to the Trustees urging them to vote in favor of keeping the current tax rate. It is YOUR participation that made ALL the difference in the world. Make no mistake, it was looking bleak before we took action.

On Thursday, October 20, the Lone Star College Board of Trustees voted to set the property tax rate for 2023 for properties within the college taxing district in Harris, Montgomery, and San Jacinto Counties.  Lone Star College has held this tax rate ($0.1078 per $100 valuation) unchanged for many years.

  • What was averted:
    • If the Board had not voted on a tax rate by October 28, the tax rate would have automatically reverted to the “No-New-Revenue” rate. This is the tax rate that, based on current valuations of properties across the district, would bring in the exact same revenues that the college is projected to raise for the current year, 2022.
    • Because college costs are rising, including the costs of recently approved compensation increases for all employees, failure to pass the recommended tax rate would have represented a shortfall of $45 million dollars in college revenue for 2023, 10% of the college’s operating budget for the year.
    • The college administration would have been forced to cut spending immediately to reflect the loss of income, which would have directly hurt both students and employees in significant ways.

This is a prime example of union power in action. Our union is not one, but all of us! THANK YOU!

Do you feel Valued and Respected at work? Survey deadline has passed,but stay tuned for results!

A workplace climate creates conditions at work that either:

  • Help an employee to feel valued and respected, or
  • Cause an employee to feel burdened and frustrated

It is our goal to identify what causes employees to feel the way they do so that AFT can advocate for more of what works, and fight to change what doesn't. Please take a moment to complete this survey. We want to hear from ALL Lone Star College employees whether you are faculty, staff, or administration. We are all in this together and the only way to succeed is together.

Confidentiality is guaranteed because this survey is being administered by AFT on a non-Lone Star College server. All responses are anonymous.

The deadline to take the survey has passed, but stay tuned for the results!

AFT Members: Your Skills Are Needed!

It takes many hands to operate a strong and successful local union. Please look over  our list of tasks and roles that AFT Lone Star needs members to help with.

Click here!