An impressive 97 percent of eligible workers now are members of the teachers collective bargaining unit, Lipp says. “I’m no Pollyanna – I know that when we have no contracts, that number will go down.”

MMSD teachers typically pay about $1,100 a year in union dues, which includes membership in Wisconsin Education Association and the National Education Association, Lipp said.

But teachers have lost take-home income, paying about $3,500 a year for their retirement fund on a $50,000 salary since Act 10 went in to effect, he said. And while Act 10 reduces collective bargaining power to base pay rates, Lipp says an organized union remains valid. “The voice of many speaks with more power and authority than an individual trying to negotiate for him or herself,” he said.

Since MTI is in a unique position of voting to recertify while it has signed labor contracts in hand, the immediate effect of a failed recertification vote is not clear.

John Matthews, MTI executive director, says that MTI would continue to represent its members regardless of the vote, Matthews said. “We have contracts with MMSD for all five bargaining units through (June 30, 2016),” he said.

There is no case law on this, and no governmental agency or the legislature has addressed it, Matthews said.

But Matthews says he is confident MTI will prevail in all five recertification votes. “We have solid support in all bargaining units. MTI has a proven record of member representation, and has had contracts which provide excellent salary schedules, fringe benefits, working conditions and just cause standards and due process,” he said. “No thinking person would throw that away.”

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