Wages

AFT Affiliate Lake County Federation of Teachers Records

scaloia — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 15:34:04 -0500

The American Federation of Teachers chartered Local 504, the Lake County Teachers’ Federation, in 1937. The Local began with teachers from Waukegan High School, but in 1977 it federated with seven other AFT-affiliated unions in the county under the Lake County Federation of Teachers (LCFT). The individual unions retained some autonomy, becoming known as councils, and delegates from each council form the governing body of the LCFT. Additional councils formed and joined the LCFT at later dates. The LCFT won collective bargaining in Waukegan in 1967 over the Illinois Education Association (IEA)-affiliated Faculty Association, though Illinois state law did not guarantee such rights until 1984. In addition to collective bargaining, the LCFT has worked to secure tenure rights for teachers, improve pay and working conditions, and eliminate de facto segregation in Lake County schools. Members of the LCFT include primary and secondary school teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff such as secretaries and bus drivers, psychologists and social workers, and higher education faculty and support staff. The LCFT is affiliated and often works in conjunction with the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), and the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO.

The AFT Affiliate Lake County Federation of Teachers Records consist primarily of organizing, negotiation, and grievance files. Extensive grievance files include cases related to involuntary transfers, pay, benefits, family and medical leaves of absence, certification, retirement, contested evaluations, and conflicts with administration. LCFT Defense Files from IFT field representative Glenn Smith contain bills, correspondence, and other documents related to legal services for grievances. Also included are files related to LCFT history, including its 50th anniversary celebration in 1987 and newsletters published by the IFT, LCFT, and councils within the LCFT. Additional document types include correspondence, contracts, reports, meeting minutes, handwritten notes, and news clippings.

Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals Records

scaloia — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 14:37:38 -0400

The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals (WFNHP) is part of the healthcare division of the American Federation of Teachers. The WFNHP began as the Staff Nurses Council of Milwaukee (SNC), which won the right to represent nurses in 1965. Originally, the SNC was affiliated with the American Nurses Association (ANA), but due in part to the ANA’s reluctance to participate in collective bargaining, the SNC disaffiliated in 1977. In 1979, the SNC began expanding to include medical technologists in Milwaukee County and then professionals in other parts of Wisconsin. That same year, the group chartered with the AFT to become Local 5001 of AFT Nurses & Health Professionals. Nurses from Burlington, Sheboygan, and Dodge Counties soon joined the Milwaukee County nurses to form the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals. The union continued to expand across the state and addressed issues and conditions affecting nurses and their ability to deliver quality care to their patients. The WFNHP successfully fought for higher wages, health and retirement benefits, a reduction in non-nursing duties, improved workplace security, and tuition reimbursement for its members. The union continues to represent registered nurses, LPNs, medical technologists, and others in the health care field working in institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes, and correctional facilities.

The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals Records contain documents from the early days of the SNC and the transition and continued affiliation with the AFT. Major topics include organizing efforts across Wisconsin, bargaining with hospitals and other employing institutions, cases brought to the National Labor Relations Board and other governing bodies, grievances and anti-union incidents, and state and national conventions. Issues specific to nursing are also covered, including staff shortages, hospital closing, mandatory overtime, and patient violence. Document types include correspondence, newsletters, fliers and other handouts, surveys, contracts, meeting minutes, reports, and news clippings.

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