Terry’s Update

May 27, 2020

1. Purple UP Info
2. FEA/NEA Retired/ Pre-Retired Dues
3. 11th Payment
4. Overseas Retro Pay Coming 29 May
5. How to cancel RAT
6. FRS Election information/directions
7. Mark Your Calendar
8. Stopping Dues

1. Purple Up — Lakenheath Education Association sponsored a contest for a student to design a purple up T-shirt. The winner came from Lakenheath MS. She won $50 for her design. It has been uploaded to CustomInk for those who might want to buy one. It has the FEA logo on the sleeve. Anyone interested in a Purple Up, student-designed T-shirt should go to the following link. Click here

2. FEA/NEA Retired or Pre-Retired — If you are considering retirement this school year (or in the near future), please join FEA-Retired (FEA Pre-Retired if you are not retiring this year). The cost during SY 19-20 is only a one-time fee of $413.75. FEA Retired membership allows you to continue with all the benefits from NEA Member Benefits programs (neamb.com). It includes information resources from NEA and FEA-Washington as well as coverage by the Association’s liability insurance, which is helpful for those who decide to substitute teach in retirement. Your Retired Membership also supports NEA/FEA in their work to support and promote various issues affecting retirees, such as our recent successful efforts that saw reimbursement of PCS moving taxes extended to federal retirees. Stay connected and involved! Learn more about FEA/NEA Retired and Pre-Retired membership here.

3. 11th Payment — FEA Europe membership coordinator as well as FEA HQ has been working with DFAS to get the extra payment back to members. The repayment of the one overpayment should be back in either this LES or the next. Please check your LES throughout that time to ensure you receive it. This is now hopefully in the JUNE 10 LES. FEA HQ will let us know how this will be delineated in the LES.

4. Overseas Retro Pay Coming 29 May WE THOUGHT! — DoDEA has informed us that Overseas employees will receive on May 29, (NOW IN THE JUNE 10 LES) the retroactive salary adjustment won for you by the Association under the March Case, along with your regular pay (which should now be computed based on your SY 19-20 salary amount).

Because of the law governing Overseas salaries, those salary schedules are generally not calculated and available for implementation until late in the school year. As a result, Overseas employees always spend most of any given school year being paid on the previous year’s salary figures while they await completion of the current year’s salary survey, conducted by the DoD Wage & Salary Division with input from FEA and DODEA. The retroactive pay adjustment serves to make Overseas employees whole for the current school year by paying the different between the amount they’ve actually been paid in a school year and the amount they should have been paid, had the current salary schedule been available for implementation at the start of the school year.

For years, DoDEA would not pay Overseas employees on the newly calculated salary schedules until the start of the following school year, meaning Overseas employees were always being paid one year behind their true salary figures. Through a court case, FEA won the retro pay adjustment for the Overseas employees to ensure those employees are credited the full pay owed to them within any given school year.

Overseas employees should be sure to check for their retro pay adjustment on their May 29 LES. This should now be in the JUNE 10 LES.

5. In case you need to cancel TOPS orders —
“I am in receipt of your request to cancel your RAT. Please submit a request in TOPS to cancel your travel orders by completing the following steps: In TOPS – Initiate a new DD1614 -select order type-Cancellation- add SS# – submit – select order # (FROM YOUR TOPS ORDERS) – in the comments/remarks input your remarks – submit the request. Your request will then be processed, you will receive an email notification when your request is completed. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns.”

At this time with the recent paper from DoDEA HQ, the final answer about RAT is that IF we take it, we must wait until after the ‘stop movement ban’ is lifted. Should you have your own tickets please read the DoDEA paper carefully and see below a quote directly from a Stars and Stripes article Wednesday 6 May on page 6 quoting a base policy, which could/would affect teachers. While this is not FEA’s position it is what DoDEA is directing.

“Those who don’t fall under the UCMJ who violate the order could lose logistical support and access to government housing, be banned from entering U.S. installations or be ordered to return to the U.S.”

6. FRS Elections – It is the time of year (usually late April in to May) when schools will be choosing their Faculty Representative Spokesperson for SY 19/20. However, this is not just any year as we all know. Because of the pandemic and the requirement for anonymous voting, as well as the lack of electronic voting that is anonymous, we are asking that the FRS remain in the position for at least the first semester next year or at least until there can anonymous elections. IF the FRS is leaving due to retirement etc. a FR can be appointed for the interim. IF there is someone other than the FRS as the representative, please inform me as soon as possible so that we can get the materials to someone for the start of next SY.

7. Mark Your Calendar
June 14 — Flag Day
June 10 — Last Duty Day

8. Stopping Dues — If you are an overseas FEA member who pays dues through payroll deductions and you are transferring at the end of the school year, you may need to stop and restart your payroll deductions.

This applies to Current Europe teachers who are transferring out of Europe. Members should email their SF 1188 by the end of the school year to Chuck McCarter, FEA European Membership Processor at feaeuropemembership@outlook.com .

These teachers will need to cancel payroll deductions in their current location and restart them in their new location. Prior to leaving their current location, they should submit form SF1188 to cancel payroll deductions. Then, once they arrive in their new location, they should submit form SF 1187 to begin payroll deductions. This procedure is necessary because of the variation in local dues among areas. If you have any questions, please contact your Area Director.

(Please note, employees who are retiring or resigning should ALSO submit a form SF 1188 to cancel this payroll deduction.)

Terry McClain
FEA Europe
Area Director