Public Education - Madison Teachers Inc.
Madison Teachers Inc. (MTI) represents over 5,000 members in five bargaining units: Teachers, Substitute Teachers, Educational Assistants, School Security Assistants, and Clerical and Technical Employees in Madison. The sixth bargaining unit consists of custodial workers represented by AFSCME Local 60.
MTI has consistently advanced the rights of public school teachers since the 1960s. The Union hired John Matthews as Executive Director in 1968 and one of the first tasks of the newly established bargaining committee was to cull the stacks of District policy and identify all issues which were mandatory subjects of bargaining. This decisive move created a progressive and groundbreaking contract of 130 pages from its initial size of 4 pages. The MTI “Sourcebook” as it was then known was the fruit of this effort.
Over the years the MTI contract with the Madison Metropolitan School District has introduced and expanded many rights for public school teachers - some advanced for the very first time in the nation. Among these were the right of one to teach while pregnant - the School Board policy at the time forced resignation when the pregnancy began to show. With the introduction of federal legislation such as the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), MTI conjoins those rights with contractual rights providing extensive assistance in medical leave of absence requests, retirement counseling, workers compensation assistance, Americans with Disability Act (ADA) accommodations and health insurance dispute resolution.
MTI grew both in size, scope and service to its members over the years. After a successful strike in the cold 1976 winter, and periodic one-day strikes, or sick-ins, the union enjoys both a regional and nationwide reputation as being a first rate advocate for public school employees.
Politics
Historically, local school Boards exercised their right to assess taxes and decide upon the level of funding for public education in their communities, as demanded by the populace. When District officials made backward, retrograde proposals, the union had its collective strength and the strike to rely upon. After many advances over the years for public school staff, the bargaining climate changed dramatically in 1993.
That year conservative legislators, led by Governor Tommy Thompson, pushed so-called “temporary” initiatives that singled out teachers for restrictive bargaining and wage controls. While other sectors of the economy, public and private, were able to enjoy open bargaining, teachers were restricted to total package bargaining (wages and benefits) of 3.8%, known as the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO). Further, restrictive revenue limits were placed upon local school Districts that harshly limited their historical authority to provide the education the local community sought.
The only option out of this bind is to place Referendum questions on local ballots. Over the past decade and a half these questions have failed as much as they have passed. This is a terrible conundrum as many Districts (including Northern rural and Southwestern river Districts) face dissolution of the entire District should these questions fail.
The Madison Metropolitan School District itself, as of 2008, has cut over 700 full time positions in fifteen years as a result of $60 million in shortfall during these lean years. Madison Referenda have had mixed success in recent years. A maintenance referenda benefits the work of the trades sector in the labor movement as well as the working conditions for employees who inhabit the buildings. Operating referenda are politically volatile whereby opponents (such as Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce or WMC) attempt to pit taxpayers and schools against each other. While corporate Wisconsin has benefitted from loopholes and direct tax cuts, the homeowner in Wisconsin has been left with their bill.
But, through referenda and the election of pro-education Legislators, local citizens have the ability to provide both temporary relief and permanent relief to this situation. Ultimately, only comprehensive school funding reform that would eliminate the QEO, abolish revenue limits and establish a fair taxation system for working people makes sense for both education and education employees in Wisconsin.
– Presented at the September 15, 2008 SCFL Delegates meeting.