In close vote, Milwaukee Teachers Union declines additional concessions

Jay Bullock:

In a letter emailed to teachers today (which you can read here), MTEA president Bob Peterson gave the results of the survey:

The survey showed that 52.4% of the membership opposed additional concessions and 47.5% favored them. Based on the results and the many thoughtful comments, the Executive Board decided to not pursue any additional concessions.

Considering that last fall’s vote, which involved far larger concessions than those considered this time around, was overwhelming in favor, I think it’s clear that Milwaukee teachers feel first, that we’re not opposed to giving back, but we also recognize that we have given quite a lot.
But the closeness of this week’s vote suggests that there is still room for compromise in the future, if we ever get the right to bargain collectively back. Currently, you might recall, it’s against the law for the union and the district to meet and mutually discuss the employment conditions of Milwaukee’s teachers.

Erin Richards has more.