MATC union recertifies in landslide vote

[Omaha Steve]

Source: jsonline

By Karen Herzog

Milwaukee Area Technical College's education professionals voted overwhelmingly this week to recertify their union, despite Gov. Scott Walker's signature labor legislation in 2011 prohibiting the union from bargaining beyond wages.

"They understand the value of having a collective voice and representation, even in the environment where you can't bargain anything but wages," said Michael Rosen, an economics instructor and president of AFT Local 212, which represents MATC's 1,500 faculty, counselors and professional staff.

Since Act 10 passed, many unions have lost their official status and seen their ranks of paid members thinned. In addition to restricting bargaining to wages, Act 10 required yearly votes for unions to remain certified and ended the practice of automatic dues deduction from workers' paychecks.

Rosen said 83% of AFT Local 212's members currently pay dues.

FULL story at link.

Karen Herzog covers higher education. She also has covered public health and was part of a national award-winning team that took on Milwaukee's infant mortality crisis.

Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/matc-union-recertifies-in-landslide-vote-b99486820z1-300986881.html

[midnight]

1. kick.

[snacker]

2. More WI tech colleges recertify:

AFT-Wisconsin
Congratulations to AFT-Wisconsin members in the state's technical college system, who won their recertification elections today by substantial margins! Union members at Blackhawk TC, Madison Area TC, Milwaukee Area TC, Moraine Park TC, Western TC, and Wisconsin Indianhead TC worked hard to get out the "union yes" votes, continuing AFT-Wisconsin unions' unbroken streak of election victories!

https://www.facebook.com/AFTWisconsin?fref=ts

Also Lakeshore TC (according to my sources)

Solidarity!