Report from MEA-MFT 2008 Rep. Assembly

Why would 260 MEA-MFT members give up a precious Friday and Saturday and drive through wintry weather for MEA-MFT's Representative Assembly?

Delegate Linda Auch, a fourth grade teacher in Billings, explained it this way: "I come to be current, for the camaraderie, and to feel I can make a difference."

Auch and her fellow delegates, all locally elected MEA-MFT members, met in Missoula March 28-29, 2008, to set the course for the state's largest union, MEA-MFT.

This year's Representative Assembly was one of the liveliest ever, with celebrations, debates, and visits from the state's top elected officials and candidates.

Here is a synopsis of this year's RA highlights:

Officers: Delegates elected the following state officers to two-year terms:

President: Eric Feaver
Vice President: Larry Nielsen
Secretary/Treasurer: Jeff Greenfield
Director-at-Large: Cecil Crawford
Delegate to NEA RA: Judie Woodhouse

Resolutions: Delegates adopted or amended MEA-MFT Resolutions:

• Encouraging all Montana educators to be nationally board certified.

• Calling for teachers of distance, online, and technology-based learning programs for k-12 students to be licensed and endorsed in Montana in the area of instruction taught.

• Encouraging support and appropriate intervention for children and adults who are at risk of substance abuse.

New business items: Delegates passed the following summarized new business items:

• New Business Item #1 - MEA-MFT endorses the concept of a national single-payer health care plan and shall urge the Montana AFL-CIO to endorse the concept at the Montana AFL-CIO Convention, June 12-14, 2008, Great Falls.

• New Business Item #2 - MEA-MFT supports LR-118, the six-mill levy, to help fund the Montana University System.

• New Business Item #3 - MEA-MFT opposes CI-99 that would cap residential property taxes at an annual increase of no more than 1.5%.

• New Business Item #4 - MEA-MFT opposes the Montana Open and Clean Government Act.

• New Business Item #5 - MEA-MFT shall schedule its annual representative assembly to meet east of Helena at least every three years.

• New Business Item #7 - Following committee weekend, staff liaisons shall compile and report the actions of each committee, provide a hard copy of the report to each local president, and post same on www.mea-mft.org.

• New Business Item #8 - MEA-MFT shall create awards recognizing a public and/or health care employee of the year and a higher education faculty of the year . (Delegates noted that certified and classified Head Start employees are eligible for the Montana Teacher or ESP of the Year awards respectively.)

Legislative program: Delegates passed the following summarized amendments to MEA-MFT's legislative program:

Amendment #1 - MEA-MFT supports state funding of Head Start.

Amendment # 2 - MEA-MFT supports legislation to develop and fund distance learning programs within the state.