Happy Birthday, Local 212!

January 27, 2010 was the 80th anniversary of AFT Local 212.

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) granted a charter to the Milwaukee Vocational Teachers’ Association, Local 212, on January 27, 1930.  

Several issues led to the faculty's decision to unionize.

• Teachers put in long hours and could be fired without a hearing
• Women were paid less than men for comparable work;
• When women instructors got married they were expected to quit; if they became pregnant without being married they were fired for being moral degenerates.

Teachers organized to have a voice regarding educational matters and their jobs.  

It took tremendous courage because they would have been fired if the effort failed.  Early meetings were held secretly in the boiler room.

Over eight decades of Local 212's existence, there have been:

• Nine college Presidents;
• Four different college names;
• The merger of the Cudahy, Port Washington and West Allis Vocational schools into MATC;
• The assimilation of other worker groups into the local;
• A failed takeover attempt by another teachers’ organization;
• A successful fair share vote;
• The heroic 1968/69 strike for dignity and professionalism
• The acquisition of office space and staff;
• and numerous contractual and noncontractual disputes with school administrators.

Through it all, technical education has flourished and our local has grown from a handful of courageous teachers to nearly 2,000 full and part-time instructors, counselors and professional support staff.

You are a product of this history. The compensation, benefits, working conditions and job security you enjoy are the product of your predecessors’ efforts and courage.  Rather than be complacent, we must make our own history!

Happy Birthday Local 212!

- Michael Rosen, PhD

Tax Notice Regarding Portion of
2009 Dues That Are Deductible

Local 212 does not have the ability to keep track of the total dues paid by each of our more than 1400 members.  The total dues paid during 2009 should appear on your final check stub for the year.  Please save that for your income tax filing purposes. 

In accordance with Internal Revenue Service code section 633 (e)(1)(A) we are required to report the amount of dues paid by members that relate to lobbying and certain political expenditures.  Please be advised that 19.93% of the dues paid by you during 2009 related to lobbying and certain political expenditures and are non-deductible pursuant to Internal Revenue Service code section 162(e)(1).  Please consult your tax advisor regarding your individual reporting requirements.

JIM BENEDUM, 2ND V.P. – FINANCIAL

Haiti Donations

Last week, the people of Haiti were victims of a terrible tragedy. It is projected that up to 200,000 people may have died. The people of Haiti are in need of water, medical care, food, housing and other forms of assistance as they attempt to survive and rebuild their country.

AFT 212 has long been involved in supporting workers in the U.S. and abroad. Only last year our members contributed over $2500 for our brothers and sisters who lost their jobs and income when Patrick Cudahy caught on fire.

If you want to donate to help the people of Haiti you can contribute to Doctors without Borders which is providing emergency medical care 24 hours a day or the American Red Cross.

You can contribute to Doctors without Borders at: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

You can contribute to the Red Cross at:  http://www.redcross.org, and clicking on "donate now." You can also text " Haiti " to 90999 to send a $10 contribution to the Red Cross.

Thank you for your dedication to the union and for your generosity at this time of crisis.

Michael Rosen, President AFT 212

Bill Thomas 1931-2010

One of the giants of MATC history has passed away.  Former Local 212 President Bill Thomas died on Monday, January 4th.

Bill devoted his professional life to MATC and its students. He taught physics for more than 30 years, retiring in the mid 1990s. He was equally dedicated to his colleagues, serving Local 212 in many capacities, including as President from 1968 through 1969 and then again from 1986-1990.

Bill Thomas was President of Local 212 when the faculty and staff were forced to go on strike in the winter of 1968. Faculty and counselors walked the picket braving the bitter cold, demanding that they be treated like professionals and not cheap hired hands. MATC students as well as labor organizations such as the United Automobile Workers Union rallied to 212’s support.

Under Bill’s disciplined leadership Local 212 used a variety of creative tactics including have a children’s march in support of their striking parents and picketing the Carpenters’ Union office because the Carpenters’ President, a member of the MATC Board, was not supporting the striking teachers.. In many ways, the creativity and militancy that has helped establish Local 212 as one of the nation’s most effective teacher unions took quantum leaps under Bill’s leadership.

Local 212 won the respect and professional treatment it was demanding in that strike. No longer would teachers be required to punch a time or monitor the cafeteria. Most importantly, the resulting labor agreement included language that established shared governance at MATC, requiring the college president to meet with Local 212’s leadership monthly. That critical language remains in our labor agreement.

Last summer Local 212 Executive Vice President Charlie Dee and I interviewed Bill Thomas and several other former strikers. Portions of that interview will be incorporated into a video being done by instructor Kevin Mulvenna and shown at our Spring Social Solidarity party, which will be a tribute to the 1968-1969 strike and strikers.

Bill Thomas was a quiet and unassuming man. Yet his work helped thousands of students obtain the skills they needed to pursue productive and fulfilling lives. He also led a critical battle in the struggle to ensure that MATC faculty, counselors and professional staff would be treated with the dignity and respect we deserve as professionals. He made MATC and Milwaukee better places.

Those of us who knew Bill Thomas fully understand what he meant to MATC.  Those of you who didn’t know him nonetheless benefit daily from his life’s work.

He will be missed. His unfinished work is left to all of us.

Visitation will be at the Hartson Funeral Home, 11111 W. Janesville Road on Saturday, January 9 from 11 AM until 1 pm. Service at 1 PM.