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Annual fee remains at current level of $1,224
Delegates attending the 97th Annual Representative Assembly approved a program budget and annual fee to guide Association activities for the 2014/15 fiscal year.
Provincial Executive Council recognized that members would not entertain a fee increase and worked hard to present a balanced budget with no increase in member dues.
In early May, the actuary confirmed that the special payments to fund the solvency deficiency in the Office Staff Pension Plan were no longer required. The return on assets and the overall increase in the solvency discount rate have significantly changed the solvency position from a deficit position, at the end of 2012, to a surplus position, as of December 31, 2013. As a result, an allocation of $1.3 million for deficit financing of the fund was no longer needed.
Given the recent release of the Task Force on Teaching Excellence, ARA representatives voted to redirect $1 million of those funds to an active media campaign that addresses teacher concerns and raises the status of the teaching profession. Delegates agreed that the remaining $300,000 be allocated to the Special Emergency Fund to ensure that it is maintained for addressing emergent issues.
The Association’s approved budget for 2014/15 allocated funds to support four new initiatives:
The Association has budgeted funds to support forthcoming recommendations from the committee work of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Inclusive Education, which will aid and support teachers working in inclusive education environments.
The Association’s centennial anniversary is quickly approaching, so the budget sets aside funds to initiate planning for the celebration, in 2017/18. The first step will be to determine the types of events and communication to be used and to develop a plan and budget estimates for approval by future assemblies.
The Association has made great strides with C2 committee work and will continue to support and enhance the continued work of committees and ensure that the best results are achieved for teachers throughout the duration of the legislated framework. The approved budget will provide for grant-in-aid support for two provincial meetings of C2 committee chairs and local presidents in conjunction with the local presidents’ meetings and one joint meeting of all partners, ATA, school boards and the Government of Alberta, in up to three regional areas across the province. Delegates also approved a local resolution to assist ATA locals with the financial cost of administering provincially mandated joint C2 committees. This would apply to only a few locals whose C2 committee costs exceed 15 per cent of the local’s combined provincial fee rebate and local levy.
An education program intended to increase member awareness and engage members was approved. The program will highlight the roles and responsibilities of the teacher and the Association’s historical role in building and protecting the teaching profession in Alberta. Aside from
the $1 million media campaign, the total cost of the new programs in the approved budget is $140,000.
The Assembly carefully considered program proposals and worked together to approve a budget that will maintain the annual fee at the current level of $1,224 for a full-time teacher, with no increase in fees in the 2014/15 year. ❚
