Laurie Campetella, chapter leader
Lab Specialist
April, 2008
Fellow Lab Specialists,
Contract Books: Our current contract, dated 10/13/07 - 10/31/09, is in the process of being printed. As soon as it is ready it will be sent out. In the meantime, you can check it out at www.uft.org. Once on the UFT opening page, on left side, click on member services. It is the third one listed.
Summer School vacancies will be posted online, as of April 2nd. www.http://schools.nyc.gov.
Open Market Transfer period begins April 15th. Looking to transfer? Vacancies will be posted starting April 15th on the DOE web site www.http://schools.nyc.gov.
ATTENTION QUEENS SCHOOLS:
Please contact me, 212-598-7764 or lcampetellauft@yahoo.com, if do not have ABC's fire extinguishers because they were replaced by Class D's in your prep rooms or lab rooms.
CHAPTER MEETING DATES:
April 30th - Guest Speaker - Amy Arundell - Open Maket Transfer process.
May 28th - Cancelled
June 18th
All meetings will take place at 50 Broadway, 2nd floor, Classroom A from 4pm to 5:30pm.
If you have an item that you would like added to the agenda of each meeting please let me know in advance.
Mercury Removal:
By LAW all mercury MUST BE REMOVED from our schools. This includes globe program equipment, spectrum tubes, thermometers, barometers, BP kits and liquid mercury. If your school still has mercury please fill out a separate chemical removal form (OP18)which can be found on our web page and submit it to the custodian. If you do not hear anything in two weeks please call Ms. Pedram (718-361-3701).
EMERGENCY PROCEDURE: Don’t wait for an emergency to happen. Be Prepared. Have emergency phone numbers posted for easy access. At our January training special fill-in forms were distributed for such use. Have spill kits ready and handy. Have signs made in advance “ROOM CLOSED”. Hopefully, you will not need them but if you do you will be prepared.
EDUCATORS' TAX DEDUCTION:
Lab Specialists are entitled to claim a $250.00 deduction on their federal tax returns for out- of-pocket expenses that have not been reimbursed. This includes books, supplies, equipment and supplementary materials that are used in the school. This deduction does not need to be itemized and can be made on the 1040E-Z for or on Form 1040 line 23.
METHANOL ACCIDENTS:
Countless, unnecessary lab accidents have occurred throughout the years using methanol as a solvent to demonstrate various colors of metal salts. Students and teachers have suffered third degree burns over a large portion of their bodies as a result.
Always remember to use safer substituions when possible in doing experiments. Instead of using Methanol the same results can be achieved by mixing the salts into tiny beads of melted borax at the end of a platinum wire and putting the bead in a flame. No flammable solvents were used. No danger to student and staff.
HR CONNECT: 718-935-4000 is the place to call to report any change in personal status such as address, phone number and marital status.
BOOK BUY BACK PROGRAM: The Department of Education has partnered with two companies to facilitate the process of removing obsolete textbooks from our schools. The vendor will remove both books with value and those that have no value. The later will be recycled. This will enable the schools to receive financial compensation for obsolete books that have resale value and re-claim space. The vendors are Budgettext and Follett Educational Services. Schools have to list textbooks on the FAMIS Portal in the inventory section under miscellaneous option. Click on its Book Buy Back Program and enter the list of materials. This list will then be sent to the appropriate vendor for notification. The process will take two visits. One is an Assessment visit and the second is the Book Pick Up Visit.
SCIENCE SAFETY MANUAL: The new version of the Manual will be available shortly. It can be accessed on www.schools.nyc.com.
CHEMICAL INVENTORY: A separate listing for Flammables and Combustibles is now required by the NYC Fire Department. This year when doing your inventory put all Flammables on one sheet(or several sheets) and label it “FLAMMABLES”, the Combustible on another sheet(or several sheets) and label it ”COMBUSTIBLES” and the remainder of your inventory on separate sheets.
HUMAN SPEICMEN DISPOSAL: In order to dispose of human specimens you must label it as “HUMAN TISSUE” for it to be picked up.
RIGHT TO KNOW: Posters for “Laboratory Safety and Health Standards”, “BloodBorne Pathogens Standards” and “Hazard Communication Standard/Right to Know Law” can be found on www.schools.nyc.com under Office of Occupational Safety and Health. They can be printed out, filled out and posted in your schools.
SMOKING CESSATION: the UFT is offering a SMOKING CESSATION program to it's members free of charge. Call the Smoking Cessation Helpline at 212-598-7763 between 10am to 6pm. Come to the 52 Broadway Ave. office to pick up patches and get confidential assistance on how to quit smoking.
Teacher's Choice: This year, Laboratory Specialists will receive $100.00.
New Members: All new members to the system should enroll in the UFT and Welfare Fund as soon as possible.Laboratory Specialist Web Site: Check our site it is constantly being updated. Go to www.uft.org. On the left side of the screen select My Chapter. On the next screen on the left side select Lab Specialist. It now has our Salary Charts, important Forms and other valuable information.
NY Times Article: “Drugs Are in the Water. Does It Matter?”
One of the topics at our Health and Safety training sessions is the safe disposal of chemicals.
At our Bronx Training the question of proper disposal of outdated or unused drugs was raised. There was concern because traces of most commonly used drugs are showing up in our nations waterways.
The NT Times article discusses this phenomena and some methods used to destroy the drugs, such as, mixing with cat litter or dissolving in water. In the end those things are discarded, taken to landfills and wind up leaching into the waterways.
The article goes on to state communities are setting up “pharmaceutical take back locations” in drug stores or police stations (for controlled substances).
So for all of us who are concerned about our environment and safe drinking water I suggest if you have any unused or outdated medication inquire in your community (local pharmacy or police station) where you can safely dispose of them.
The UFT Welfare Fund reminds us that unused or outdated medications can be returned and that company uses a 3rd party to destroy them.
Laboratory Specialist Web Site: Check our site it is constantly being updated. Go to www.uft.org. On the left side of the screen select My Chapter. On the next screen on the left side select Lab Specialist. It now has our Salary Charts, important Forms and other valuable information.
The 10th Annual Laboratory Specialists training was held in January. Each year it gets better and better. I would like to thank all who made this training possible. Chris Proctor and Ellie Engler of the Health and Safety Department have taken our chapter under their wing. Each year they write the Grant that finances the training. Laboratory Specialist’s health and safety is on the line every day by working with dangerous chemicals and equipment. Chris and Ellie acknowledge these risks and provide us with the proper training to reduce them. Our yearly training educates us on how to handle and understand the dangers we face daily.
Catherine Henihan does an outstanding job organizing the training, preparing the manual, organizing guest speakers and making the presentations. We all look forward to Ed Olmsted‘s presentation. He educates us to the dangers in a light and humorous manner. This year Junior Linton, Jennifer Glyptis, Lisa Lau and Miraim Vega of the Health and Safety Department gave presentation. In each borough we had guest speakers who spoke on our personal safety and safeguards.
Marc Eiselman, from the Office of Contracts and Purchasing attended the training in Brooklyn. He answered all our questions and more. An updated Q&A on Purchasing is on our Chapter web page at www.uft.org for future reference.
In addition to all the priceless information we received we are given the opportunity to reach out to other Lab Specialist who have similar problems and some solutions. I personally, look forward to this time every year. It is very important that we all attend these trainings. The training is mandated and we are released from our schools for the day because it is so important.
Contact Numbers: I am in the office on Wednesday's at 10am. I split my time between Manhattan and Staten Island. If you wish to see me please call fo an appointment. My phone number for Manhattan is 212-598-7764. My Staten Island number is 718-605-1400. Please keep in mind if you wish to leave a message I only have voice mail for the 212-598-7764 number. In addition, I can be reached by e-mail: lcampetellauft@yahoo.com.
Fraternally,
Laurie Campetella
