Good morning ACE Members

I hope this finds you well and navigating these crazy times as best you can.  A tweet came through my feed yesterday that was so on target, I thought I’d share it with you:

“You are not working from home; you are at your home during a crisis trying to work. I’ve heard this twice today. I think it’s an important distinction worth emphasizing”.
It is undeniable that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted the way we work and do business.  As such, the ACE Executive Board recognizes it has the potential to negatively affect our members financially. FHDA permanent workers are still being paid in full. Full stop.  However, many private businesses have closed and/or laid-off workers. From our 2019 member negotiations survey, we know 42 percent of respondents indicated they had, or have had, a second job to keep up with the high cost of living in our area. For those members or members who share financial responsibilities with a partner who works outside of FHDA, that supplemental income most likely has been affected negatively by COVID-19. 

To help alleviate any financial stress COVID-19 may have brought to you, ACE will be forgiving dues for April, May, and June 2020.

How can we do this?  Through prudent financial action from this, and previous boards, we have a savings account to address crises like this.  The Board unanimously voted that this is the appropriate time to use some of it.  Even as we take this action, we still have a $500,000 strike fund, five percent of operating reserves and additional funds to cover our pending lawsuit against CalPERS.  In other words, we’re going to be ok.

On behalf of the ACE Executive Board,

In solidarity

Chris