Your union, your voice: MEA-MFT Rep. Assembly
MEA-MFT's annual Representative Assembly (RA) is democracy in action.
MEA-MFT's local affiliates elect local delegates to attend RA each year. Delegates set the direction for their union, MEA-MFT. What delegates decide, happens.
2013 Representative Assembly
April 5-6, Red Lion Colonial Hotel, Helena
More than 300 MEA-MFT delegates participated in the 2013 RA.
See more photos and stories here.
Along with other business, delegates at the 2013 Representative Assembly passed proposed amendments to the MEA-MFT constitution, a budget, and dues.
All proposed constitutional amendments and dues must be posted on the MEA-MFT web site at least 60 days before the commencement of Representative Assembly. They are hereby posted here January 31, 2013.
Proposed constitutional amendments #1-7
Proposed constitutional amendment #8
Proposed dues
(Note that the proposed full dues increase of $6 is the first dues increase after a two-year freeze.)
2012 Representative Assembly
March 30-31, Hilton Garden Inn, Missoula
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| Delegates listen in delight to "Membership Man" at RA. |
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More than 400 MEA-MFT delegates and guests rocked the Hilton Garden Inn in Missoula March 30-31 at the MEA-MFT Representative Assembly.
Delegates came from as far away as Wolf Point, Poplar, and Miles City to chart the future for their state union.
And they roared their readiness to defend public services, public education, and the rights of working people from the attacks other states have seen in the last year.
“Folks gathered demonstrated great energy and commitment going forward to protect and enhance public programs and services -- especially through the election of political leaders who actually care about public programs and services and the people who do 'work that matters,'” said MEA-MFT President Eric Feaver.
On Saturday, delegates saw two videos showing the train wrecks caused by anti-public employee bills passed in Wisconsin, Ohio, Idaho, Indiana, and many other states.
Then delegates cheered thunderously as Montana’s attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Steve Bullock and superintendent of public instruction Denise Juneau took the stage.
Bullock and Juneau vowed to uphold Montana’s tradition of workers’ rights and strong public services. And MEA-MFT delegates vowed to help them get elected. Delegates took action right then and there, calling fellow MEA-MFT members right from the floor of the RA to ask them to support Bullock and Juneau.
Delegates also heard from other statewide candidates, including MEA-MFT member Linda McCulloch, running for re-election as Montana Secretary of State; Monica Lindeen, running for re-election as State Auditor; U.S. Congress candidates; and Montana Supreme Court candidate Elizabeth Best.
In other business, delegates:
• Elected state officers, including Eric Feaver, President; Jeff Greenfield, Vice President; Rich Aarstad, Secretary-Treasurer; Melanie Charlson, NEA Director; and Cecil B. Crawford (Missoula), Director at Large.
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| MEA-MFT state officers: Rich Aarstad, Secretary-Treasurer; Melanie Charlson, NEA Director; Jeff Greenfield, Vice President, Eric Feaver, President. |
• Cheered and thanked Karin Stanford, MEA-MFT’s NEA director, who is retiring.
• Passed a dues freeze and budget for 2012-13.
• Passed several constitutional amendments.
• Heard a moving letter from the husband of slain Sidney teacher and MEA-MFT member Sherry Arnold, read by Sidney Education Assoc. President Mark Halverson.
• Celebrated MEA-MFT’s 2012 Members of the Year:
• Cecil B. Crawford (Missoula): Education Support Professional Member of the Year
• Shannon Bender (Great Falls Head Start): Public Employee Member of the Year
• Sandy Osborne and Kari Cargill (MSU-Bozeman): Faculty Members of the Year.
Read more about the Members of the Year.
Proposed dues
Proposed constitutional amendments
2011 Representative Assembly: April 1-2, Helena
The largest MEA-MFT Representative Assembly (RA) in history took place in Helena April 1-2. More than 350 delegates attended, representing 97 MEA-MFT locals.
And what an RA it was – punctuated by MEA-MFT’s No Fooling with our Future Rally, which delegates attended April 1. They were joined by about 1,500 other Montanans concerned about the legislature’s needless budget cuts.
In other key RA events, delegates elected the following statewide officers:
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MEA-MFT state officers from left: NEA Director Karin Stanford, Vice President Jeff Greenfield, Secretary-Treasurer Jill Cohenour, President Eric Feaver.
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- President: Eric Feaver
- Vice President: Jeff Greenfield of Billings
- Secretary-Treasurer: Jill Cohenour of Helena
- NEA Director: Karin Stanford of Lone Rock
Delegates also:
- voted on several amendments to MEA-MFT’s constitution,
- approved a new business item calling on MEA-MFT to organize plans to counter the current anti-union, anti- collective bargaining efforts seen in other states
- approved a dues freeze
- approved the proposed MEA-MFT budget
In addition, delegates heard a legislative report from President Feaver, heard from Governor Brian Schweitzer and Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, and received a report from NEA Director Karin Stanford on national issues.
The evening of April 1, delegates honored MEA-MFT’s three new Members of the Year in a gala celebration:
MEA-MFT Education Support Professional of the Year Janet Baum
MEA-MFT Public Employee Member of the Year Rich Aarstad
MEA-MFT Faculty Member of the Year Grant Mitman
Voted at 2011 RA:
2011-12 Dues proposal
Constitutional amendment proposals
2010 Representative Assembly
More than 200 locally elected MEA-MFT delegates gathered in Billings March 26-27 for the annual MEA-MFT Representative Assembly (RA). Along with a full work agenda, delegates had plenty to celebrate: MEA-MFT’s tenth birthday, new MEA-MFT members of the year, and an unshakable sense of unity and camaraderie.
MEA-MFT kicked off its tenth anniversary celebration with a recognition of its historic efforts to organize a new MEA-MFT local at MSU-Bozeman.
Delegates also heard congratulatory messages from Superintendent Denise Juneau and NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. Both applauded MEA-MFT’s 10 years of unified actions on behalf of public education and public services.
“It’s time to organize and empower”
RA delegates gave a thunderous ovation to keynote speaker Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Assoc. (NEA), one of MEA-MFT’s two national affiliate along with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
“I think it’s great that I get to be part of your tenth anniversary,” Van Roekel said. “It’s a rich history.”
Van Roekel talked about the last 18 months in America, saying, “I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. I didn’t expect the depth of this economic crisis. I didn’t anticipate the depth of anger, that some were willing to do almost anything to defeat those with whom they disagree.”
Acknowledging imperfections in the health care bill recently passed by Congress, Van Roekel said, “Don’t underestimate the significance of this vote. Elimination of pre-existing conditions alone is huge. Congress will be tweaking and changing this for years.”
On the Obama Administration’s controversial Race to the Top grants and blueprint for public schools, Van Roekel said, “NEA and AFT are not going to let our members’ rights to collective bargaining and due process be rolled over by some half-baked reform idea.” To roars of approval from RA delegates, he added, “We need to leave No Child Left Behind...behind.”
Van Roekel continued, “We do not accept the status quo in public education. But if you really want to transform education, you must involve all the adults involved. Mandates from outside won’t do it. Blaming and scapegoating won’t work. We are the ones in the schools every day. Ask us and we will work with you.”
Despite frustrations and concerns, Van Roekel said, “There has never been a better time than now. I want to take advantage of this time. We have all this passion, commitment, and resources. This is not the time to give in, give out, or give up. It’s time to organize and empower.”
Taking care of business: Representative Assembly actions
Over two days of hard work, delegates accomplished the following:
• Adopted standing rules clarifying how vote totals are allocated to participating delegates.
• Adopted Constitutional Amendment #1, allowing the MEA-MFT Board of Directors to delay electing successors in cases when a statewide office becomes vacant.
• Adopted Constitutional Amendment #2, clarifying the membership status of the MEA-MFT president to assure that current and future holders of the office can continue to run once elected.
• Adopted Constutional Amendment #3, allowing the MEA-MFT Board of Directors to fill vacant seats on the board until an election can be held.
• Elected statewide officers: Eric Feaver, president; Dave Severson, vice president; Jeff Greefield, secretary-treasurer; Janet Spracklin at-large delegate to the NEA RA; and Cecil Crawford, director-at-large.
• Heard presentations by candidates for U.S. Congress: A.J. Otjen, an MEA-MFT member; Dennis McDonald, Tyler Gernant, Sam Rankin. Incumbent congressman Dennis Rehberg was also invited to address RA but was unable to attend.
• Heard a presentation from Beth Baker, candidate for the Montana Supreme Court.
• Approved New Business Item 1 to consolidate two MEA-MFT governance districts into one.
• Approved New Business Item 2 to introduce legislation to authorize reimbursement for state employee training expenses required by the state of Montana .
• Approved New Business Item #4, authorizing MEA-MFT to oppose proposed ballot initiative CI-105. CI-105 would “prohibit state or local governments from imposing any new tax on transactions that sell or transfer real property” (see page 10)
• Approved New Business Item #5, authorizing MEA-MFT to support Ballot Issue #24 that would create a “Montana Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Drug Free Plan.”
• Approved New Business Item #6, authorizing MEA-MFT to support Ballot Issue #25 that would cap the annual interest rate lenders may charge on certain loans (e.g. “payday” or car title loans) to 36%.
• Approved New Business Item #7, directing MEA-MFT to develop a fact sheet on Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Accounts.
• Approved the MEA-MFT Legislative Program, 2010-11 budget, and 2010-11 dues.
Voted at RA:
Dues propopsal
Constitutional amendments