Greetings!
We have been working tirelessly to ensure the safety of all of our members in the midst of COVID-19.
We want to share the latest with you about the plan going forward for Local 509 members at IST.
As many of you know, we encountered resistance from DOC even as public schools continued to close and more news came out regarding the safety concerns in prisons.
After daily e-mails, several letters, and many phone calls, I’m happy to share with you that teachers, vocational staff, and librarians will be able to work from home starting Monday, March 23rd.
The DOC has notified us that they will follow up next week with work from home plans for members.
This decision came after many days of relentless advocacy for the safety of our members by the IST chapter leadership, the members and union staff.
We want to thank you for your participation and for sharing your concerns with us.
We, as educators and citizens of the Commonwealth, continue to be deeply committed to coming up with solutions that will maintain smooth operations while simultaneously reducing spread and protecting lives. Our hope is to ensure a safe effective education continuum moving forward in the challenging days ahead.
We are truly stronger together.
In Solidarity,
Jacy Watson
IST Chapter President, SEIU Local 509
