Shorewood Teachers Union Votes to Recertify

The Shorewood teachers union, like most of its counterparts in the Milwaukee area, voted Thursday to recertify and keep its union status.

The recertification was necessary as a result of the new collective-bargaining law, which requires unions vote to recertify every year. The move allows the union to continue negotiating wages. Teachers and many others in public unions are restricted from bargaining for anything else under the changes passed in Act 10.

Shorewood Education Association President Michael Halloran said he's gratified that teachers locally continue to stick together, but called the new rules, which requires 51 percent of the union's total membership — not just voting members — to vote in favor of recertification, a high standard.

"The new rules are clearly an attempt to weaken unions," he said.

Halloran said busy teachers can easily forget to call and vote, and a missed vote is a vote against. He added if the same standard were applied when officials ran for public office, most candidates wouldn't be elected.

Shorewood's teacher union voted 82 percent in favor of recertification.

Across the state, 177 of 206 education groups in the state voted yes to recertify, according to the Wisconsin Employee Relations Commission, which oversaw the voting over the last 20 days. 

In a statement Thursday, Wisconsin Education Association Council President Mary Bell said the results "send a clear signal to Governor Walker that his divisive approach to governing and his cuts of $1.6 billion to schools do not reflect Wisconsin values.

"As a union, our members will stay united as a voice for educators, students and schools, as we continue to focus on the upcoming recall election.”

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Walker's office made its own statement Thursday saying, "Earlier this year, workers were given the ability to make decisions about union dues and other factors that directly affect their paychecks. Some have chosen to stay certified while others chose not to. The important thing was that they were given the freedom to choose."