— September —

On August 29th, Hurricane Ida made landfall on Southeastern Louisiana destroying property, damaging homes, and leaving many citizens without power or potable water for weeks on end. We are still working to repair the extensive damage and care for those who lost the most. It’s clear that the rebuilding and recovery efforts will take time.

AFT Hardship Relief Grants for Members

Thanks to the power of AFT members all over the country, LFT members impacted by Hurricane Ida will receive needed financial relief to help offset some of the cost incurred as a result of the storm. If you are a member who experienced damage to your home or property, you may qualify for a Hardship Relief Grant. There is still time to apply -- APPLICATIONS ARE DUE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1ST. Awards will be made after all applications have been received.

Click here for more information and to apply.

$500 Union Plus Disaster Relief Grants

Union members who participate in particular Union Plus programs may be eligible to receive a $500 disaster relief grant that doesn’t have to be repaid. In order to qualify, you must be a union member participating in either the Union Plus Credit Card, the Teamster Privilege Credit Card, Union Plus Mortgage, Union Plus Life/Accident, Union Plus Auto Insurance, Union Plus Personal Loan or Union Plus Retiree Healthcare. To learn more visit: unionplus.org

Water Bottles for Students and Community Members

AFT donated a full truck-load (18 pallets) of bottled water to help areas still operating without potable water as a result of Hurricane Ida. This water was unloaded at the LFT office in Baton Rouge by LFT staff and is now being redistributed to school sites most severely impacted by the storm. Thank you to AFT for supplying this needed resource. We were especially grateful to Fedrick Ingram, AFT Secretary Treasurer, who came to Louisiana to help check on members, unload the water in Baton Rouge, and distribute some to Belle Chase High School in Plaquemines Parish.

Waivers to Instructional Minute Requirements?

Following the devastating effects of Hurricane Ida, many school districts are struggling to understand how they can safely return to in-person instruction and make up the time that was lost. The truth is, as current BESE policy is written, there isn’t an exemption to the minimum instructional minute requirements that would explicitly apply to the disaster that students and school employees are currently recovering from. However, there is nothing that would stop BESE or the legislature from making other exceptions if school systems and school employees are hurting.

What’s most important is to make sure our students and the educators who serve them are safe. They can’t be expected to return to a school building that has hanging wires or exposed asbestos and if school districts can’t provide safe schools, they need to figure out another option or ask the state for assistance.

Louisiana’s children have been put through so much in the last year and a half, and we are looking to school board members and state officials to protect them. Getting them back in school is a priority, but it can’t come at the expense of their health and safety. Their well-being and the quality of their education is far more important than an arbitrary number of minutes in a building.

To learn more, watch this brief video about the law mandating minimum standards for instructional minutes and applicable waivers.

COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness

Meanwhile, in other parts of the state less impacted by the storm, LFT members have been working to fight COVID-19 and overcome vaccine misinformation. In August, Louisiana saw a slight increase in vaccine doses given, but that has dropped in September, which is likely at least partially related to the impact of Hurricane Ida. Still, only 44% of Louisiana residents are fully vaccinated and hospitalizations and deaths from the virus continue to impact communities across the state. If you still have questions or concerns about the vaccine, please review this Q&A and talk to your doctor.

The September Edition