Conversation Day says Settle the Contract
A message from Local 212 President, Dr. Michael Rosen

I want to thank you for your efforts over the past week.

More people attended conversation day than ever before. A top MATC administrator commented that Local 212 should be thanked for generating the record turn out. Since this administration doesn’t know how to say thank you, I will. Thank you very, very much!

The conversation day results are unequivocal. The most important issue facing this college is to resolve the contract. “Settling the Contract” received 347 votes, more than twice as many as any other action suggestion. Second, with 146 votes was restoring shared governance. Restoring integrity to the hiring process was a very close third with 133 votes. No other action received more than 16 votes.

The message is clear - there is a serious disconnect between the top administration at MATC and the faculty, counselors and academic staff. These concerns need to be addressed if the college is to move forward.

The rally at the Board meeting yesterday was enthusiastic and well attended. My comments to the Board are attached.

We have several bargaining meetings scheduled in the near future and will let you know if we have made progress.

We will also continue to use every avenue available to us to express our dissatisfaction with the administration's failure to bargaining seriously.

The weather is warming up and if negotiations don’t improve, we will be taking this to the streets!

Thanks to all of you for coming to the rallies, for wearing your t-shirts, for supporting your bargaining committees, for posting signs on your office doors and for your unity and solidarity.

You have demonstrated repeatedly that you are the “U’ in our union!