Information
about the WCTC FACULTY ORGANIZING CAMPAIGN
June 24, 1998
| WCTC full-time teachers
organized into a union in 1968. At that time all full-time teachers
worked during the day. In 1973, 12 part-time teachers who taught
during the day were added to the union. Teaching after 6 pm was
classified as non-union work. |
Today 208 employees are
covered by the Waukesha County Technical Educators Association
(WCTEA) union contract.
734
part-time teachers are not covered. These part-time teachers are
paid only for the hours they spend in front of students, not for any
preparation or evaluation work. They get no benefits, no sick time,
no holidays, no job security. |
| Today, many WCTC
employees teach in both the day and the evening. The employer
refuses to add up all their work and count all of it to determine if
the employee is really full time or has enough work to be eligible
for benefits and salary. Some part-time teachers teach more hours
than a full-time teacher, yet are not recognized as full-time
because some or all of their work is done after 6 pm. Just by
changing the starting time, the employer moves work into or out of
the union. |
| The union's goal is to form
a bargaining unit for all the teachers who work 50% or more, and to
form a second, separate bargaining unit for all the teachers who
truly do work part-time (under 50%). This is consistent with the
structure of the teacher unions at all the other Wisconsin technical
colleges. The WCTEA Union wants a structure that will allow the
union and management to set up fair, equitable rules, standards, and
guidelines for full-time teachers and fair, equitable rules,
standards, and guidelines for part-time teachers. |
So, what's the problem?
WCTC is using
questionable tactics in an attempt to try to keep part-time teaching
employees from having a chance to vote on union representation. Here
are some examples...
In 1997 the Union had to take
WCTC to court just to get the names and addresses of the part-time
teachers under the Open Records law.
WCTC used your tax dollars to
pay their attorney's fees and to pay the $5,500 settlement ordered by
the judge.
Note: Waukesha County property
tax payers provide over 60% of WCTC's operating funds.
* * * * *
In May, WCTC issued a lay-off
notice to Bud Teske, the Waukesha County Technical Educators
Association's chief negotiator and member of the union's organizing
committee.
Was this lay-off because of low
enrollments? NO!
Because of lack of work? NO!
WCTC says it shut down Bud's
auto body classes because "the starting wages of his graduates
are too low"!
Never before has WCTC
shut down classes based on graduates' starting wages!
* * * * *
The employer argues that those
part-time teachers who do a portion of their work before 6 pm should
not be eligible to vote on representation for their work that is
scheduled for after 6 pm.
If this position prevails…
- These part-time
teachers would not be able to vote with their part-time colleagues
who have all their work scheduled after 6 pm.
- The work of these
part-time teachers would continue to be treated as two, separate
part-time jobs.
It’s
time for WCTC to stop putting up roadblocks that keep WCTC part-time
teachers from the opportunity to decide on union representation.
For additional information contact:
Ellen Mei, President, Waukesha County
Technical Educators Association WCTEA Office: 414-691-5171
Jeannie Lehmann, Coordinator, Part
Time United Faculty Organizing 414-251-1756
Leigh Barker, Staff Rep, Wisconsin
Education Association Council 800-362-8034 |
|