We are saddened to learn of the loss of retired faculty member Anne Channell. Anne was not only a distinguished Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) English instructor for 33 years, but for 27 years she served on AFT Local 212’s Executive Board. Anne Channel was one of MATC’s most important leaders for almost two decades.
Anne developed the Peer Support seminar, part of MATC’s new faculty orientation process and a professional development program that is part of AFT 212’s Educational Research and Development (ER & D). She led Peer Support from its beginning in 1992 until her retirement in 2005.
Recruited as an at-large grievance representative by then Local 212 President Ernie Schnook, Anne would eventually serve for 15 years as the union’s Vice President of Contract Enforcement (grievance). She was admired by both represented and non-represented MATC community members for her breadth of contract knowledge, her relentless pursuit of principle, and her willingness to always help a colleague. Anne understood that when front-line educators and administrators worked together to develop the college’s operating procedures and standards, our students benefited. She fought to ensure that all front-line educators were treated fairly, with dignity, and with respect. Throughout her career, and as recently as 2011, Anne could be found carrying a sign and marching with her Local 212 sisters and brothers at rallies to protect our union rights, or simply sharing fellowship at any one of our solidarity gatherings.
For decades MATC did nothing to welcome new faculty or integrate them into the college community. You were given your class schedule, a set of keys and, if you were lucky, someone else’s syllabus. That was it. So in the early 1990s, Anne and several other faculty members began meeting to discuss ways to orient new faculty, improve their own teaching, and create a culture committed to teaching excellence within MATC.
Anne believed that teaching was an art that required constant self-reflection regarding one’s professional practice, the invaluable input of supportive fellow faculty, and the willingness to take chances within the classroom. In 1992 Anne and her team launched Peer Support after authoring a curriculum and securing necessary administrative approvals so that new faculty could obtain certification credits through their participation. For the next 13 years until her retirement in 2005, hundreds of faculty participated in this outstanding program which would forever inform their teaching. Anne and the Peer Support team also conducted orientations for new faculty.
Virtually every teacher hired during Anne’s tenure is indebted to her for easing their fears and orienting them to MATC, its culture and our students as they began their teaching careers. It is no wonder that Anne’s office walls were covered with numerous plaques and certificates of excellence and appreciation from MATC as well as numerous state and national educational organizations - not the least of which was the national office of the American Federation of Teachers.
While Anne was incredibly dedicated to her roles within the union and the Peer Support program, she was above all a successful classroom instructor. Throughout Anne’s tenure in the English department, she remained committed to MATC’s developmental students. Her seniority within the department would have long ago allowed Anne to teach college transfer courses to better prepared students. But Anne chose to work with MATC’s most educationally disadvantaged students at the beginning of their academic careers. She was passionate about her students’ potential and believed unwaveringly in their ability to reach their dreams through hard work and persistence.
Anne Channell epitomized what we strive to be as professional educators and union members. She was active, engaged, innovative and committed to justice. There is no way to quantify the thousands of lives she touched in her classroom, through sharing her craft with hundreds of instructors who have also reached thousands of students during their careers, or through demanding that educators be treated like the professionals we are. Anne was a tireless advocate for MATC’s students, faculty, counselors and professional staff.
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We are saddened by Anne’s death. She died too young. But in our sorrow we remain grateful that she was our advocate, colleague, role model and friend. She made MATC a better more effective college.
Our hearts are with her son Mark, family members and the countless others who were lucky to have known and learned from her.
Thank you, Ms. Channell.
Is 'Rebalancing' Plan Just a Raise for Top Administrators?
Officials of the Los Angeles Community College District are calling it a "rebalancing" plan, but student leaders and others aren't going along. The Los Angeles Times reported that the plan involves cutting the $1,500 monthly car allowance top administrators receive to $500, and then using the extra $1,000 a month to give raises to those administrators. The plan is based on the idea that the administrators are underpaid, compared to others in California. But student leaders and their backers say that the district shouldn't be paying top officials to drive to and from work, and that any savings should go to restoring some of the class sections that have been cut in recent years.
Abele, Barrett and Other Milwaukee Leaders Urge Legislature to Restore Transit Funding
MILWAUKEE – A coalition of Milwaukee leaders are sending a letter to lawmakers in Madison asking them to restore cuts in transit funding and requesting that they maintain the segregated Transportation Fund.
The letter is signed by County Executive Chris Abele, Mayor Tom Barrett, UWM Chancellor Mike Lovell, MATC President Michael Burke and MMAC President Tim Sheehy. The diverse group that signed onto this letter shows how important a robust transit system is to the people and businesses of Milwaukee County.
If there is a shortage of welders how come so few companies came to the MATC welder job fair?
Employers who have said there's a shortage of welders in Wisconsin - and that it's serious enough to threaten their business prospects - didn't turn out in large numbers Tuesday for a Milwaukee Area Technical College job fair that could have introduced them to 50 job candidates.
Michael Rosen addresses the MATC District Board. Michael Rosen addresses the MATC Distrct Board in support of Caterpillar (formerly Bucyrus Erie) employees, members of the United Steelworkers of America, who asked the MATC District Board to stop training Caterpillar managers to scab on Caterpillar’s current workforce.
Union asks MATC to stop training Caterpillar employees
A labor union has asked Milwaukee Area Technical College to stop training nonunion employees so they could step in as replacement workers at Caterpillar Inc.'s South Milwaukee plant in the event of a strike.
AFT president on sequestration's impact on education
Participating in the Washington blame game is not going to stop the dangerous across-the-board cuts set to kick in this Friday. These cuts are not just numbers. Every cut and every dollar has a real-life, real-world, disastrous consequence.
AFT SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS
Are you continuing your education? Do you have a child who is a senior in high school with plans to attend college? We can help! As part of the Robert G. Porter Scholars Program, the AFT offers four $8,000 scholarships to high-achieving high school seniors who are the dependents of AFT members. And 10 grants of $1,000 each are available to AFT members from all divisions who are seeking continuing education in their field of work.
This year’s race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court has only begun to take shape. But it is not too early to recognize that the decision made in this will be a definitional one with regard to Wisconsin’s future.
AFT-Wisconsin has a scholarship program available to members, spouses of members, children and grandchildren of members. If you are going back to school or have a child heading off to college this fall, please take some time to apply for the AFT-Wisconsin scholarship program. We offer awards to students going to four-year colleges and universities, and another award for students in the tech college system. The 2013 application can be found by CLICKING HERE.
MUST READ: The importance of the Wisconsin Supreme Court race could shape several key rulings
Madison - The spring race for state Supreme Court will determine the course the state's fractured high court takes for years as it likely addresses limits on collective bargaining and Wisconsin's stalled voter ID law.
BizTimes praises MATC instructor and Local 212 member Larry Domine for developing innovative social media education.
In response to the growing demand for social media expertise in companies across nearly all markets, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) is taking a progressive step forward to develop a skilled workforce of social media specialists.
Leading that step is Larry Domine, MATC information technology instructor, who currently teaches courses focused on programming, mobile app development and social networking/social media.
An interview with Anthony Carnevale, executive director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, on the important role of two year colleges.
AFT 212, the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses
and Heathcare Professional and
Voces de la Frontera have launched a
First Book campaign to get bilingual books
into the hands of Milwaukee's Latino children.
On Wednesday, January 2, 2013, long time Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) instructor and former AFT Local 212 President Cliff Winkelman died of a heart attack.
Cliff Winkelman devoted his life to training Milwaukee’s skilled tradesmen, to MATC and to building the labor movement.
After an early career in the trades, Cliff brought his skills to Milwaukee Area Technical College. He taught HVAC for 34 years at MATC's South Campus in Oak Creek retiring from full time teaching in 2006. He continued to teach welding part-time until his death.
Cliff was a member of Steam Fitters Local 601 when he joined the MATC faculty and he maintained his membership in that local throughout his teaching career. He was also a leader of MATC’s faculty, counselor and professional staff union, AFT Local 212.
Cliff served on the Local 212 Executive Board as the South Campus representative from 1991 until he was elected President of the local in 1997 after Ernie Schnook’s retirement. Cliff was also a member of the Bargaining Committee from1994 through 1996.
Cliff loved food and could always be counted on take charge of Local 212’s hospitality suite at AFT Wisconsin’s conventions. No delegate ever was in danger of losing weight or going hungry at these meetings.
In addition to his work for Local 212, Cliff served for more than two decades on the AFT-Wisconsin Executive Board. At the state fed, Cliff co- chaired the Wisconsin Technical College Council and was a member of the AFT-W Personnel Committee, helping to bargain nearly a dozen contracts with the AFT-Wisconsin staff union. He also served four terms as co-chair of the AFT-Wisconsin Committee on Political Education (COPE), helping to connect union members with their elected officials and build AFTW into a political force in state politics. And for nearly two decades, Cliff was a Sergeant-at-Arms at the annual AFT-Wisconsin convention.
When Governor Walker launched his divide and conquer attack on Wisconsin’s public employees, Cliff marched with his brothers and sisters in Madison in an effort to protect union rights. (See photo above) As Cliff said: “Everything I have devoted my life to is under attack.” During these marches and throughout all of his years of union service, Cliff’s wonderful wife Linda was always at his side.
In addition to teaching and his union work, Cliff was an active member of Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford where he was Sunday school superintendent for 20 years. Cliff also enjoyed boating, hunting, traveling, and collecting pens.
Cliff is survived by his wife, Linda; children, Nicole (Franco) Trampe of Wauwatosa, Tracy Lyn (Damien) Schmitt of Green Bay, and Clifford "Chip" (Lori) Winkelman III of Hartford; grandchildren, Gina and Liliana Trampe, Teresa, Levi, and soon to be born baby Schmitt, Shaun, Masen, and Aarin Winkelman; sister, Judith Loker; sister-in-law Susan (Charles) Brandt and his brother-in-law, David (Deborah) Hojnacki.
Cliff devoted his life to working people, his students, family and Local 212. He will be missed
A viewing will be held on Monday, January 7th from 4 PM until 7 PM at Peace Lutheran Church, 1001 Center Street in Hartford, Wisconsin. Cliff’s funeral will follow at 7 PM.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Diabetes Association or the charity of one's choice are appreciated.
In Remembrance
Dear Michael,
In this season that usually fills children and adults of all ages with joy and hope, the entire AFT family is shaken and deeply saddened by the senseless, unspeakable loss of so many lives this past Friday in Newtown, Conn. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the 20 children and seven adults who were killed, as well as to Sandy Hook Elementary School, the Newtown Public School District, and the entire community of Newtown and its surrounding areas.
Newtown Remembrance Video In moments of great tragedy, so many perform acts of overwhelming heroism. On Friday, first responders did what they always do: move quickly to ensure safety and prevent further harm. The school principal, teachers and staff did what educators instinctively do: protect their students.
Sadly, this tragedy reminds us of the need to do whatever it takes to ensure schools are safe sanctuaries for all students and staff, and provide environments focused on teaching and learning. We cannot prevent every senseless act of violence, but we must stand together to press for greater gun safety and for stopping gun violence, as well as for making mental healthcare accessible and acceptable in all our communities.
There is much work to be done, and it's hard in the midst of such sadness and grief to see the road to recovery. That road for students, educators and the community will be a long one, but I am confident that the AFT family will do what our union does best: come together to support one another.
In unity,
Randi Weingarten
AFT President
AFT mobilizes to assist Sandy Hook families
In this season that usually fills children and adults of all ages with joy and hope, the AFT 212 family is shaken and deeply saddened by the senseless, unspeakable loss of so many lives this past Friday in Newtown, Conn.
Labor unions nationwide say they are gearing up for the 2014 midterm elections after losing battles with several Republican governors, including Rick Snyder who made Michigan a right-to-work state this week. Joy Cardin's labor analyst talks about the various fronts in the fight with conservative leaders, and how unions are trying to remain a viable political force.
Having been a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for 15 years, I follow the news from the state closely, and was very disappointed to read about Governor Scott Walker’s plan to make significant changes to state funding for education. Governor Walker said a few things about K-12 education and education in the technical college system, but he also said this about how the state should judge the performance of its public universities:
In higher education, that means not only degrees, but are young people getting degrees in jobs that are open and needed today, not just the jobs that the universities want to give us, or degrees that people want to give us?
AFT, LOCAL 212'S 2012 PROFILES IN COURAGE AWARD WINNERS
The American Federation of Teachers Local 212 representing Milwaukee Area Technical College’s 1400 faculty, counselors and professional staff has announced its 2012 Profiles in Courage Award winners.
Two-thirds of parents supported the Chicago school teachers' protest in spite of the inconvenience caused by the strike.
We don't know the final terms of the settlement yet,
but it appears that the Chicago public school teachers
managed to score a major victory over Rahm Emanuel,
Chicago's business- oriented mayor. Testing will not
comprise as large a share in teachers' evaluations as
Emanuel had wanted; there will be a serious appeals
process for teachers whom the school district wants to
fire, and laid off teachers will have priority in
applying for new positions.
Scott Brown Should Either Renounce Romney or Admit He's No Moderate
Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, an embattled Republican who has already decried his party’s platform, on Wednesday struggled to answer repeated questions about whether he still backs Mitt Romney for president.
AFT Local 212 Union President, Dr. Michael Rosen's Interview on Eric Von's Morning Magazine, 1290 am.
Dr. Rosen's interview offers in-depth insight into the recent developments that surround the closing of both Everest and Sanford Brown Colleges in Milwaukee. Additionally, Dr. Rosen discusses what may lay ahead with the very recent ruling of Act 10 being declared unconstitutional.
Wisconsin technical college grads
landing jobs Salaries tick up from previous year
May 3, 2012
MADISON – If last year’s outcomes are any indication - this year’s technical college graduates have promising futures. Despite Wisconsin’s current economic challenges, a survey of 2011 technical college graduates revealed 88 percent of graduates were employed within six months of graduation and most of them (71 percent) were employed directly in their field of study.
According to the annual Graduate Follow-up Report the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) is releasing, 86 percent of respondents indicate they are working in Wisconsin.
"This is a bright spot in Wisconsin’s economy," said Dan Clancy, president of the WTCS. "Our graduates are employed within Wisconsin’s borders and are contributing to the economic recovery in our state. The results show that the curriculum aligns with industry skill needs and that employers value our graduates’ abilities."
The technical colleges attribute this success in large part to advisory committees established in each program area. The committees are comprised of local business and industry representatives in their respective fields. They advise the colleges on various matters based on first-hand knowledge of supply and demand in addition to skills desired for today’s job market.
Median starting salaries have increased slightly over the previous year. The median salary for all new graduates is $31,822 ($31,198 the year prior) with those earning associate degrees receiving a median salary of $36,033 ($35,616 for 2010 grads). The fields with the highest median starting salaries are utilities engineering technology, technical studies-journey worker, fire science, biomedical electronics, automated manufacturing systems technician and applied instrumentation and process control automation. Several program areas have median starting salaries of $60,000 or higher.
Females represent 63 percent of the 2011 WTCS graduates and minorities represent 11 percent. Graduates in the 20-24 year age group represent 30 percent of the total and 36 percent are over 30 years of age.
The Wisconsin Technical College System includes 16 technical college districts throughout Wisconsin, offering more than 300 programs awarding two-year associate degrees, one and two-year technical diplomas and short-term technical diplomas. In addition, the System is the major provider of customized training and technical assistance to Wisconsin’s business and industry community. More than half of all adults in Wisconsin have accessed the technical colleges for education and training.
President Obama Proposes
Major Investments in Two-Year Colleges.
February 14, 2012
From Inside Higher Ed
President Obama has proposed spending $8 billion on job training programs at two year colleges over the next three years, part of his budget for the 2013 fiscal year that also would increase spending on Education Department programs and some scientific research.
The president outlined the job-training proposal in a speech at Northern Virginia Community College yesterday. Unlike past calls to spend more on community colleges, this proposal is aimed squarely at an election-year message of “jobs, jobs, jobs” rather than the administration’s goal of increasing the number of Americans with college degrees.
The proposal builds on job training programs already in existence -- especially the Trade Act Assistance Community College Career Training Program, which began making grants to community colleges in September. If approved by Congress, the president’s proposal would provide $1.3 billion each per year to the Education and Labor Departments, on top of the trade act grants.
While it’s unclear whether the money would create new federal programs or build up existing ones, the funds would be spent at two year colleges that train workers for jobs in high-demand fields. Programs that are especially successful at finding jobs for their graduates, or at placing those who traditionally have difficulty finding work, would be eligible for additional money.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013,
4:15 p.m., Downtown Campus, TBA
Tuesday, May 7, 2013,
4:15 p.m., Rm. M616 (Downtown)
Other Events:
Comedy Sportz Family-Friendly Event
Saturday, March 16, 2013
AFT, Local 212 Spring Social at the Boerner Botanical Gardens on Saturday, May 4, 2013.
John Nichols: Scott Walker reduced to name-calling to defend struck-down Act 10
Wisconsin once had governors who could argue their briefs on merit. But no more.
Late Friday, a well-regarded Wisconsin jurist -- who before his appointment to the bench spent 15 years working for Democratic and Republican attorneys general as a top lawyer with the state Department of Justice -- issued a thoughtful 27-page assessment of Scott Walker's signature legislative initiative, Act 10.
Marquette Constitutional Law professor, Ed Fallone, analyzes the legal basis for Judge Colas decision overturning Act 10 and criticizes the Republican political response for ignoring the legal arguments in favor of political posturing.
The committee has met ten times and is now meeting every week. But only ten weeks remain before its deadline to produce a document for the MATC Board's approval. CLICK HERE to read more.
08.21.12
The MATC Handbook committee has met for over two months. However, at this time, there has been no semblance of a process that could be called shared governance…
President & Chief Executive Officer, Ullico Inc.
If we want to rebuild the middle class in this country, we need strong unions. It is not a coincidence that the decline of the middle class began with the decline in union membership.
When I travel across the country, I often hear from business leaders, politicians, even union members, that unions do not matter anymore. They say there was a time and place for unions, but that era has passed. They cite the fact that union membership in the United States stands at less than 12 percent. They cite the Wisconsin recall, the passage of right-to-work laws in Indiana, and the 2012 Democratic National Convention taking place in a city with one of the lowest union membership rates in the country. Unions don't matter, they say. They are wrong. Unions matter today more than ever...
The Daily Change: Chicago's Teachers just went on strike - Here's everything you need to know about why.
During a press conference tonight the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) announced that it will be going on strike, its first action of the sort in 25 years.
Why are these 29,000 teachers and school workers going on strike in the nation’s third-largest public school district?
Because they want what all workers want: fair pay and decent working conditions. They also want what all teachers want — to serve their students to their best of their abilities.
Why I'm Striking. Who's really hurting Chicago's kids? Not the unions, notes this teacher-activist.
September 10 - 2012 | Chicago Public Schools [CPS] CEO Jean-Claude Brizard is on record saying both that CTU leadership is deciding whether or not to strike, and that “everyone knows that a strike would only hurt our kids.”
