Engagement * Bargaining * Advocacy * Justice * Empowerment * Support by Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor MEA member Carolyn Matzinger had no idea the union could help her make a case for disability retirement benefits after a progressive illness made it dangerous for her to return to her Petoskey classroom. For two years she […]
Engagement * Bargaining * Advocacy * Justice * Empowerment * Support by Carolyn Matzinger, MEA‑Retired Let me say with full-throated enthusiasm thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the support the MEA gave me to prevail against an unjust decision about my qualifications for non-duty disability retirement due to my Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). […]
Engagement * Bargaining * Advocacy * Justice * Empowerment * Support by Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Four years ago, MEA member Dr. Tracy Loveland joined with a fellow Ann Arbor school psychologist to bring the union’s strength to bear on frustrations within the district’s special education department, which were contributing to high staff turnover. […]
Eva Menefee says her interest in academic advising grew out of a bad experience she had as a young undergraduate student seeking guidance from an advisor. “I wanted to be an accountant, which at that time meant getting into the school of business. I can remember going to see the advisor, and he said, ‘People […]
Engagement * Bargaining * Advocacy * Justice * Empowerment * Support by Brenda Ortega MEA Voice Editor Mike Eyre has been a middle school history teacher for 25 years, and he’s served nearly two decades as president of his local union. But even Eyre was moved by a recent turn of events that he and […]
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 […]
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, […]
