Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals

The Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals (RIFTHP) is a statewide federation labor unions in the state of Rhode Island in the United States. The federation's local unions represent teachers and other educational workers, state and municipal employees, health care workers in the public and private sector, and higher education faculty and workers. It is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the AFL-CIO.

RIFTHP
Full nameRhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals
Members10,000
Head unionFrancis J. Flynn, president
AffiliationAmerican Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
Office locationProvidence, Rhode Island
CountryUnited States
Websitewww.rifthp.org

In 2013, the federation's president was Francis J. Flynn.

History

The Rhode Island Federation of Teachers was founded as the Rhode Island Branch, American Federation of Teachers, on March 27, 1947.[1] The original unions making up the federation were the Warwick Teachers' Union, the North Providence Federation of Teachers, the Pawtucket Teachers' Alliance, the Woonsocket Teachers' Guild, and the Providence Teachers' Alliance.[1] Four years after its formation, the Pawtucket Teachers' Alliance went out on strike—one of a handful of local unions to disobey a national AFT policy banning strikes by teachers.[2] The federation changed its name to the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers in 1958.[1] The Pawtucket strike ended in a settlement favorable to the union, and a rudimentary contract—one of the first teacher contracts in the United States.[3] Another strike in Pawtucket in 1964 also ended in a contract, this one personally negotiated by Governor John Chafee.[3] This collective bargaining experience helped pave the way for legalization of teacher unionism in Rhode Island two years later.[3][4]

Public school teachers in Rhode Island were given the legal right to bargain collectively over "...hours, salary, working conditions, and other terms of professional employment" in May 1966 (P.L. 1966, Chapter 146).[5] Rhode Island law also allows payment of unemployment benefits to public school workers if they struck for more than eight weeks.[6]

Edward J. McElroy[7] was president of RIFTHP from 1969 to 1992.[7] He was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the AFT in 1992,[8] and President in 2004 (he retired in 2008).[9]

In 1971, David Selden, then a national representative with the AFT, attempted to convince the leaders of RIFTHP to join with the state federations in Connecticut and New York to fund and operate an organizing project, but the RIFTHP leaders rejected the idea.[3]

In the early 1970s, RIFTHP and the NEA statewide affiliate in Rhode Island considered merging,[10] but did not do so. During the same years, RIFTHP was active in organizing higher education faculty as well.[11] When the AFT and the National Education Association signed a tentative merger agreement in 1998, RIFTHP leaders refused to immediately commit to a state-level merger (but supported the national effort).[12]

RIFTHP began organizing nurses in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Its most significant effort in this area came when it organized more than 1,000 registered nurses at Rhode Island Hospital in August 1993.[13] But in 1998, more than 3,500 health care workers belonging to RIFTHP disaffiliated in a dispute over how much money should be spent on organizing new members.[14] Although RIFTHP and the AFT disputed the election results and sued former staff who went to work for the new union (the United Nurses and Allied Professionals), the AFT lost these challenges.[15]

Activities

The Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals is considered one of the most active political groups in the state of Rhode Island.[16] It sued to oppose the shut-down of Rhode Island state government during a budget crisis in 1991,[17] fought to keep full-time union leaders (who were former public employees) in the state pension system,[18] worked to enact strong constraints on charter schools in the state's charter school law (the resulting law is one of the most restrictive in the nation as of 2004),[19][20] supported stronger and clearer curriculum standards,[21] sued to stop the state from penalizing retired public employees who were enrolled in more expensive health care plans,[22] opposed binding arbitration for teacher union contracts,[23] opposed merit pay,[24] fought reductions in retiree pensions,[25] and sought to limit the role of school-wide committees in establishing teacher assignments, class sizes and layoff rules.[26]

A significant network of unionized teachers interested in applying new union structures and models to creating high-quality schools, part of the Teacher Union Reform Network (TURN), is also active within RIFTHP.[27] There have been some media reports that this network has had an influence on RIFTHP, and that the state federation is more willing to embrace some union and school reform efforts.[20] In 2006, RIFTHP and the NEA affiliate in Rhode Island issued a joint report which focused on poverty and its many negative effects on children (such a malnutrition, unstable or violent home situations, lack of access to books and educational items like crayons or paper, and little access to high-quality early childhood programs) as key issues in the school reform effort.[28] The report dismissed criticism that collective bargaining agreements stymied reform, and pressed for higher spending on early-childhood programs, reductions in class size, and improving teacher training programs.[28] In 2009, the state federation began a push to have local school boards adopt much more rigorous teacher evaluation standards as well as stronger mentoring program.[29] The state of Rhode Island approved the plan for adoption by local school boards,[30] and RIFTHP won a $200,000 national competitive grant to help fund the first four programs (to be implemented in Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket).[31]

Publications

RIFTHP issues two publications, Smith Hill Report and The Federationalist. The Smith Hill Report is published weekly while the Rhode Island General Assembly is in session. The Federationist is published quarterly. Both are available on RIFTHP's Web site.

References
  1. "Rhode Island Federation of Teachers Collection Papers, 1946-1982. Accession number 1349, L. C. Number MS. Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs. Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs. Wayne State University" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-27.
  2. Eaton, William Edward. The American Federation of Teachers, 1916-1961: A History of the Movement. Urbana, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1975. ISBN 0-8093-0708-1; Braun, Robert J. Teachers and Power: The Story of the American Federation of Teachers. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1972. ISBN 0-671-21167-6
  3. Selden, David. Teacher Rebellion. Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press, 1985. ISBN 0-88258-099-X
  4. Stinnett, T.M. Turmoil in Teaching: A History of the Organizational Struggle for America's Teachers. New York: Macmillan, 1968.
  5. "Cost/Benefit Analysis of a Statewide Teacher Contract. Report Submitted to the General Assembly. Rhode Island Department of Administration. May 12, 2004" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 7, 2010.
  6. Carelli, Richard. "Washington Dateline." Associated Press. March 21, 1979.
  7. Who's Who in America. 59th ed. New Providence, N.J.: Marquis Who's Who, 2004. ISBN 0-8379-6982-4
  8. "AFT President Edward J. McElroy," no date. American Federation of Teachers Archived 2006-06-08 at the Wayback Machine. Link accessed 9 June 2006.
  9. Greenhouse, Steven. "Teachers’ Union President to Step Down; New Yorker Is Seen as Successor." New York Times. February 13, 2008.
  10. Gaffney, Dennis. Teachers United: The Rise of New York State United Teachers. Albany, N.Y.: SUNY Press, 2007. ISBN 0-7914-7191-8
  11. DeCew, Judith Wagner. Unionization in the Academy: Visions and Realities. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003. ISBN 0-8476-9671-5
  12. McVicar, D. Morgan. "Merger of National Unions May Not Affect R.I. Teachers." Providence Journal-Bulletin. January 28, 1998.
  13. Broberg, Leslie. "What Will Unionization Mean for RI Hospital?" Providence Business News. August 23, 1993; Clawson, Dan. The Next Upsurge: Labor and the New Social Movements. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-8014-8870-2
  14. Jones, Brian C. "Health Workers Split With Teachers." Providence Journal-Bulletin. November 24, 1999; Jones, Brian C. "Unions Learn to Use Power to Endorse Candidates." Providence Journal-Bulletin. September 25, 1998.
  15. Jones, Brian C. "Rhode Island Teachers Union Tries to Stop Nurses' Departure." Providence Journal-Bulletin. July 29, 1998; Barmann, Timothy C. "Nurse, Teacher Rift Deepens." Providence Journal-Bulletin. August 4, 1998; Jones, Brian C. "Labor Group Loses Bid to Prevent Nurses' Breakaway Union." Providence Journal-Bulletin. March 28, 1999; Wyss, Bob. "Rhode Island Union Tries to Halt Nurses' Vote to Revolt." Providence Journal-Bulletin. July 30, 1998; Tolme, Paul. "National Union Sues Rival Group Organizer." Associated Press. December 28, 1998.
  16. Hyde, Mark S. "Rhode Island: The Politics of Intimacy." In Interest Group Politics in the Northeastern States. Ronald J. Hrebenar and Clive S. Thomas, eds. State College, Pa.: Penn State Press, 2004. ISBN 0-271-02576-X
  17. "Unions Ask Court to Thwart Planned R.I. Gov't Shutdown." United Press International. March 6, 1991.
  18. McKay, Scott. "2 Unions Sue Over Pension Cutoffs." Providence Journal-Bulletin. August 2, 1994; McVicar, D. Morgan. "Warwick Teachers Petition Against RIFT's Role in Suit." Providence Journal-Bulletin. March 16, 1995.
  19. Steiny, Julia. "Teachers Unions' Restrictions Hurt R.I.'s Charter School Bill." Providence Journal-Bulletin. November 19, 1995; Bulkley, Katrina E. and Wohlstetter, Priscilla. Taking Account of Charter Schools: What's Happened and What's Next? New York: Teachers College Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8077-4393-3; Viteritti, Joseph P. Choosing Equality: School Choice, the Constitution, and Civil Society. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8157-9047-3
  20. McVicar, D. Morgan. "Fate of Charter School Bill Underscores Unions' Clout." Providence Journal-Bulletin. May 5, 1998.
  21. Richmann, Deb. "Teachers Group Says Some State Standards Aren't Clear Enough." Newark Star-Ledger. August 5, 1996; Borg, Linda. "Statewide Curriculum Draws Debate." Providence Journal. May 28, 2004.
  22. Rowland, Christopher. "Teachers' Union, State Argue Over Health-Care Costs." Providence Journal-Bulletin. July 15, 1997; Gregg, Katherine. "Retirees to Pay Higher Rates - For Now." Providence Journal-Bulletin. August 28, 1997; Gregg, Katherine. "Union Challenges Health-Care Rate Hike." Providence Journal-Bulletin. October 22, 1997.
  23. Dujardin, Richard C. "Teachers' Unions Divided on Binding Arbitration Bill." Providence Journal-Bulletin. March 29, 2002; Gedan, Benjamin. "Gemma Still Hopeful on Arbitration Legislation." Providence Journal. March 14, 2006.
  24. Borg, Linda. "Union Leaders Fault Merit-Pay Proposal." Providence Journal. January 25, 2005; "Governor to Push for Standards for Evaluating Teachers." Associated Press. March 18, 2005.
  25. Gregg, Katherine and Edgar, Randal. "R.I. Workers, Teachers Blast Pension Cuts." Providence Journal-Bulletin. January 16, 2009; Gregg, Katherine. "Unions Decry Proposal to Prune Pensions." Providence Journal-Bulletin. March 16, 2009; Peoples, Steve. "Unions Aligning to File Suit Over Pension Changes." Providence Journal-Bulletin. July 30, 2009.
  26. Needham, Cynthia. "Union Fight Under Way." Providence Journal-Bulletin. January 28, 2009.
  27. Wolman, Paul. Teacher Unions and Education Policy: Retrenchment or Reform? Bingley, U.K.: Emerald Group Publishing, 2004. ISBN 0-7623-0828-1
  28. Jordan, Jennifer D. "Union Report Offers Teachers' Perspective of Education Woes." Providence Journal. June 15, 2006.
  29. Jordan, Jennifer D. "Teachers Union Would Overhaul Peer Evaluations." Providence Journal-Bulletin. June 15, 2009; Sawchuk, Stephen. "Peer Review Undergoing Revitalization." Education Week. November 18, 2009.
  30. "RI Approves of New Teacher Evaluation Standards." Associated Press. August 7, 2009.
  31. Borg, Linda. "Teachers Union Wins Grant for Evaluations." Providence Journal-Bulletin. October 20, 2009.
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