Engagement * Bargaining * Advocacy * Justice * Empowerment * Support by Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Four years ago, serendipity stepped in to help MEA UniServ Director Mike McGee and a bargaining team in Portland win a good contract for secretaries—and set the stage for an even better outcome in talks this year for […]
Engagement * Bargaining * Advocacy * Justice * Empowerment * Support by Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor The celebration was short-lived when members of United Teachers of Flint learned the district was offering to pay each of them a $22,500 bonus, using some of the federal COVID-relief money sent to the district this year. Soon […]
Engagement * Bargaining * Advocacy * Justice * Empowerment * Support by Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor At the start of her 30th year in public education MEA President Paula Herbart is looking forward, and a newly unveiled MEA Strategic Plan is helping bring the future into focus. Developed over the past year by a committee […]
Engagement * Bargaining * Advocacy * Justice * Empowerment * Support by Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Strength in union takes many forms. It can look like a team of bleary-eyed bargainers negotiating a contract through the wee hours of morning, or a crowd of educators standing in solidarity for what’s right. It’s training and […]
Recently, chaos and vitriol have dominated many school board meetings around the state and nation. Verbal attacks and threats of physical violence targeted at board members and educators have become far too common. What’s driving this angry rhetoric? Safety measures put in place to protect students and employees, as well as efforts to be open […]
EAST LANSING — The following statement can be attributed to MEA President Paula Herbart regarding the strike underway by Kellogg workers in their effort to settle a fair contract: “As an educator, I know a healthy breakfast is essential to student learning. And I know many breakfasts that fuel our students’ education are made right […]
An overhaul of the broken federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) announced on Wednesday is meant to restore the promise made to educators and other public service employees who have suffered under the program’s 98% rejection rate. Changes include a limited one-year waiver that allows all payments by student borrowers to count toward PSLF, […]
The House Education Committee voted along party lines Tuesday to forward a bill to the House floor seeking to bar discussion in schools about important issues of race and gender in classrooms and limit the professional expertise of educators to help students develop important critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Sponsored by Rep. Andrew Beeler (R-Fort Gratiot), […]
Engagement * Bargaining * Advocacy * Justice * Empowerment * Support by Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor One philosophy of the union bargaining team at Clarkston Community Schools says if it’s a problem for one, it’s a problem for all. For local president Daryl Biallas, that value now extends to a spate of attacks on […]
