Why MTA Matters For many MCCC members, “the union” means the local MCCC chapter (15 community colleges) and maybe even the statewide MCCC Board of Directors (21 voting members). The MCCC has over 7,000 members that include full-time, part-time, and adjunct faculty and professional staff. But “the union” is also the state organization, the 116,000 member Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) and the 50-state National Education Association (NEA). “The union” is us, the members. The members … [Read more...]
President’s Column Feb 2017
It has been almost seven months since I began my two-year term as your elected statewide MCCC President. During these seven months, I have learned a great deal about our statewide union that I didn’t know or appreciate as a member. YOU are the union. If the Union is to work for YOU, you must know how the union works so you can be a knowledgeable voter and participant. Directors are the most important positions in our Union. The management of the MCCC union is the responsibility of the … [Read more...]
President’s Column Dec 2016
SURVEY SAYS... Equal Pay for Equal Work Anyone who has ever been treated unfairly by an employer has learned that if we stand alone, we are weak. But if we stand together in solidarity, “our union makes us strong.” We saw the power of union solidarity with the November election win on ballot Question 2. A loss would have jump-started the privatization of public education by allowing a big expansion in the number of charter schools in the state. The odds against winning were overwhelming. In … [Read more...]
President’s Column Nov 2016
Equality for Adjuncts Benefits Full-time Faculty Our adjunct members and our part- time professional staff are paid substantially less than our full time members, they have less job security, limited or no benefits, and are often treated as second class citizens who are not, for example, equal participants in college governance, eligible for certain awards, or given recognition for their service or achievements. With DCE (adjunct) contract negotiations currently underway, we have the … [Read more...]