Arbitrator Peter Feuille ruled the 1978 agreement between the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) and Madison Teachers Inc. (MTI) is an enforceable contract and its provisions remain in effect. The decision is seen as a victory for MTI in a long-festering dispute with its parent union.
WEAC had long chafed under the Madison agreement, reached at a time when the state union was in danger of being splintered into many independent locals. The document committed WEAC to reimbursing MTI for its legal expenses, and acknowledged a large degree of autonomy for the local. During a conflict in 2001, WEAC sought to unilaterally dissolve the agreement. After years of court battles, the two unions finally agreed on binding arbitration last year.