◼ Two area teachers' unions have disbanded in relation to Gov. Scott Walker's legislative changes to public union rules. - The Journal Times
The North Cape School District teachers' union last week did not get a majority of members to vote for recertification, something now required annually because of Walker's changes, which also essentially eliminated collective bargaining for teachers' unions. The Yorkville School District teachers' union did not hold a recertification vote, instead voting earlier this fall to simply disband.
Of North Cape's 18 teachers' union members, five voted for recertification Thursday while six voted against it, according to the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission. North Cape union officials did not return phone calls Friday.
In Yorkville, teachers voted by mail in late September to disband their union. Of 34 members, 29 returned the paper ballots and all voted to disband, according to Becky Seitz, the former union president.
"In the 30-some years we were part of the (American Federation of Teachers union), we never had to use their services. There were never any grievances that warranted that," Seitz said, explaining teachers found it unnecessary to keep paying monthly dues of about $50 when they weren't using union services anyway. "We really - and I'm going to be honest - never really got much out of it. We've always had a good relationship with our administrators and our board."
