Montana's largest labor union holds annual meeting in Helena March 27-28
MEA-MFT, Montana’s largest labor union, will hold its annual Representative Assembly at the Red Lion Colonial Hotel in Helena Thursday and Friday, March 27-28.
Several hundred locally elected MEA-MFT members will come from all over Montana to represent their fellow rank-and-file members at the event.
MEA-MFT is one of the oldest advocacy groups in Montana, founded in 1882, seven years before Montana became a state. It represents more than 18,000 Montana K-12 teachers and school support staff, higher education faculty, state and county employees, Head Start staff, and health care employees who live and work in communities all across the state.
Representative Assembly is MEA-MFT’s highest governing body. Each of MEA-MFT’s 300 local affiliates is entitled to send at least one elected delegate.
Over the meeting Friday and Saturday, delegates will elect statewide officers and debate and vote on constitutional amendments, dues, budget, new business items, and a legislative program for MEA-MFT.
They will also discuss the challenges facing unions, public schools, and public services. “We continue to see attacks nationwide on the things we believe in: the right of workers to collectively bargain, public education, and public services,” said MEA-MFT President Eric Feaver.
“MEA-MFT members have worked tirelessly and successfully to protect those foundations of democracy in Montana, and we will continue to do so.”
Special RA events include:
Hall of Fame celebration: MEA-MFT will hold its second pre-Representative Assembly Hall of Fame event to induct three new MEA-MFT Hall of Fame honorees Thursday evening, March 26, at the Montana Club in Helena: Dick Barrett and Marilyn Ryan of Missoula, and David Smith of Helena.
Members of the Year celebration: MEA-MFT will celebrate its three 2015 Members of the Year at a banquet Friday evening, March 27: Eden Dias of Whitefish, Education Support Professional of the Year; Renne’t Sarbu and Kyla Gardiner of Helena, Public Employee Members of the Year; and David Shively of Missoula, Faculty Member of the Year.
NEA President Lily Eskelsen-Garcia: Visiting Montana for the first time as president of NEA, Lily Eskelsen-Garcia will address delegates Friday morning, March 27. She is president of MEA-MFT’s national affiliate, the 3-million-member National Education Association.
State leaders: Delegates will hear from several Montana elected officials, including Governor Steve Bullock on Friday, Superintendent Denise Juneau on Saturday, and Lt. Governor Angela McLean on Saturday.
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MEA-MFT represents more than 18,000 K-12 teachers and school support staff, Head Start employees, state and county employees, university faculty, and private-sector health care providers working in communities all across Montana. MEA-MFT is a merged affiliate of the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers and is the largest affiliate of the Montana State AFL-CIO.