What are the
symptoms? How does the flu spread? Is the antivirus
vaccine safe? What is the latest? All the
information you need to know is provided by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.October 22, 2009
Pandemic Planning – At a statewide meeting between MMB and the Bargaining Units it became clear that the H1N1 pandemic is real and it’s here. Daily absenteeism seems to be increasing. At the statewide and agency Human Resources levels, pandemic plans are in place. Now is the time for employees to initiate discussions at staff meetings about office or worksite pandemic plans. Ask how your office will function and what work will get done if 30%, 50% or 70% of your workforce is missing.
What are the
symptoms? How does the flu spread? Is the antivirus
vaccine safe? What is the latest? All the
information you need to know is provided by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Another web site
for you is a local one,
www.BeReadyMN.com, which lists important memos pertaining to
Novel H1N1 Planning as well as other emergency information from
the state of Minnesota.
Minnesota
FluLine. (1-866-259-4655) Minnesotans with flu symptoms now
have as an option to get additional support for and medical
advice about influenza.
MnDOT Report for the Taxpayers’ Transportation Accountability Act (TTAA) – requiring the commissioner of transportation (DOT), prior to entering into privatization contracts, to compare the cost of state employee performance with the cost of privatization; specifying certain applicability provisions; specifying contract review requirements; requiring the commissioner to provide annual written reports to the legislature by a certain date on transportation privatization contracts. MnDOT has submitted their report. MGEC is studying how to respond to the report. We dispute the use of certain additives to the State’s calculations of a project cost. In effect, those additives inflate the cost estimate the State produces for comparison to bids made by consultants. In some cases the additives are duplicative or make unrealistic assumptions. (Example: an assumption of needing a cost additive for hiring a new employee due to the employee not being productive for 6-9 months. While productivity improves with time, our members’ experience is that they have been involved in working projects and productive almost from day one.) The short report answers only those queries put to MnDOT by the legislature. None of the projects which were less costly if done by the State were not contracted out. Even if it cost more money, the State outsourced the work. There are times this may make sense. We want to further explore those situations. We welcome member input and participation in our study of the report and projects reviewed.
Pre-tax plans – plan ahead and save money. You can choose to set dollars aside from your paycheck to be spent on dependent care and/or medical costs. By doing so you save about 7.5% of that money by avoiding payroll taxes. This year there are new minimums for the pre-tax plans. A $100.00 minimum annual election for MDEA (medical) and DCEA (dental) and a $50.00 annual election for TEA (dependent care) will apply.
Introducing TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Funds: A Streamlined Approach To Retirement Investing - TIAA-CREF will be conducting a financial education webinar at Minnesota state colleges and universities. MnSCU has now made available a series of Lifecycle Funds targeted to your expected year of retirement. For investors who prefer an approach to retirement investing that won’t require complicated decision-making, the TIAA-CREF Lifecycle funds offer a convenient solution. TIAA-CREF Lifecycle funds are based on your target retirement date. These funds follow a carefully planned asset allocation strategy that continually adapts to balance the pursuit of growth with the desire to minimize volatility as retirement nears. This webinar will:
Provide key reasons why you may benefit from investing in a Lifecycle Fund
Describe the “Glidepath”, or the funds’ gradual, carefully controlled transition away from equities and to fixed-income investments
Provide an overview of the broad diversification and asset classes that makeup the funds
Date(s), Time(s),
Location(s)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Webinar
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Webinar