150 Teachers Rally For Respect In New Berlin
About 150 New Berlin teachers and their supporters rallied outside a
school board meeting Monday evening (September 29) to protest the board's
unwillingness to bargain a fair contract.
"It's time we stand up all across this state and take education
back," shouted John Matthews, executive director of Madison Teachers
Inc., which also is engaged in a contract battle with its school board.
"We must stand together and do what we can for the children of this
state and the educators of this state."
Participants also heard from NBEA Vice President Joe Hanser; Mike McNett,
executive director of Lakewood UniServ Council; Lakewood UniServ Council
President Bob Fullmer; Bob West, WEAC's director of collective bargaining;
and WEAC President Terry Craney.
"From Superior to Stevens Point, from Green Bay to Greendale, and
from Minong to Milwaukee to Madison, the frustration level of teachers
in increasing," Craney said. "A frustration of not being able
to settle contracts through a rational, adult-like manner called arbitration.
""I have often said the best way to predict the future is to
invent it," Craney said. "You are starting to invent the future
here tonight. Through your actions, all of us stand together for public
education, for children and for teachers. The time is now. Let's show
the politicians and the school board where their priorities should be."
Craney said teachers don't want to have to rally and engage in job actions.
"What you want and what the other teachers in Wisconsin want is
reasoned and rational school boards who value your work and value quality
education," he said.
Following the rally outside of Eisenhower High School, members filed
into a school board meeting, where they spoke to the board about the injustice
of rewarding their hard efforts and numerous successes with yet another
loss to inflation. Fred Schuler spoke as a New Berlin resident about the
quality of the staff, the board's willingness to reward administrators
who do not teach students, and the unreasonableness of the board's refusal
to offer a cost of living raise. Pro-NBEA speakers received standing ovations
from the audience.
On specified days, New Berlin teachers have been wearing black to school.
They also have engaged in a work-to-the-clock job action and are planning
other activities if there is no movement soon.
At a mediation session Tuesday night (September 30), the school board
announced its intention to unilaterally impose its QEO. NBEA crisis committee
is scheduled to meet Thursday (October 2).
Photo: Mike McNett, executive director of Lakewood UniServ
Council, speaks to New Berlin teachers outside Eisenhower High School.
Posted September 30, 1997; Update October 1, 1997