| ABOUT THE HARLEM FEDERATION OF TEACHERS LOCAL #540 |
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The
Harlem Federation of Teachers (HFT) has been in
existence since the late 1970’s. We actually won
an election against the Harlem Education Association
on January 15, 1980 and were certified as the
bargaining agent following the election. During
the earlier years, we were affiliated with the
Blackhawk Federation of Teachers and Bill Hyde,
Barbara Abrahamson and Sue Milner were former
presidents of Blackhawk Federation of Teachers.
Former Presidents of HFT were: David Williamson
(1977-1979), Barbara Abrahamson (1979-1982), Janet
Swanson (1983-1985), Maureen Mostacci (1985-1987),
Julie Lang (1987-1988), Bonnie Johnson (1988-1989),
Lynn Kearney (1989-2007), and Lynn Kearney & Dan Ralston (Co-Presidents, 2007 - present).
Each
Union in the AFT has been assigned a local number
as a way of identification. Our local number is
Local 540 and we use that number for all IFT and
AFT business. The HFT is led by the five member
executive board: Lynn Kearney, Dan Ralston, Leah
Krippner, Mary Beth Westin and Bev Neff along
with the building representatives from each site.
The building representatives’ names are listed
in the “Officer” section of this website. The
Building Representatives meet monthly during the
school year to make decisions about the direction
of the HFT. The HFT has approximately 530 members.
If you have questions or concerns about the workplace,
disciplinary issues or professional issues that
need to be addressed by the HFT, please contact
your BR , one of your officers or the IFT Office
for a prompt reply.
In
addition to the teachers in Harlem, the support
staff locals have recently merged (2002) all of
their members from five separate units into one
large unit comprised of secretaries, custodians,
maintenance workers, security guards, school assistants,
ParaEducators, bus drivers, mechanics, dispatcher
and bus assistants. They are known as the Harlem
Federation of Support Staff (HFSS). HFSS has approximately
350 members. Both the HFT and HFSS are advised
by Lenny Nieves, IFT Field Service Director. The
IFT office number is 815.636.8352 or 815.636.8354,
and it is located at 623 Harlem Road Suite #200,
Machesney Park, Illinois, 61115. The office fax
number is 815.282.1985.
THE
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE UNION
You
Member
of the Illinois Federation of Teachers become
an important part of a much larger picture.
As a member, you are part of a local union of
colleagues. By getting involved in your local,
you help determine the issues that are addressed
within your workplace. You also have the opportunity
to share your concerns and experiences with
colleagues at your workplace. Your local union
serves you best when you get involved.
Your
Local
The
more than 200 local unions in the Illinois Federation
of Teachers (IFT) are each very different from
one another, but they share a common characteristic.
Every IFT local -- from Chicago to Quincy, East
St. Louis to Peoria -- operates autonomously,
with each local's governing body and its members
making decisions in the local's own best interests.
Locals range in size from less than 10 members
to more than 33,000 members. Some large locals,
called federated locals, consist of several
smaller groups, or councils. Regardless of size,
every local and local member can count on the
support and assistance of the Illinois Federation
of Teachers when they need it.
The
Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT)
The
IFT is a 90,000 member union composed of Prek
- 12 teachers, paraprofessionals, and school-related
personnel, higher education professionals, public
employees and dental hygienists across Illinois
in more than 200 local unions.
The
statewide organization supports - but does not
govern - local unions and their members. The
IFT is affiliated with the American Federation
of Teachers and the AFL-CIO.
The
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
The
AFT is a national organization composed of more
then 1 million members, including PreK - 12
teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related
personnel, higher education professionals, public
employees and health care workers. The AFT is
based in Washington, D.C. and is an affiliate
of the AFL-CIO.
The
AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor - Congress
of Industrial Organizations)
The
AFL-CIO is a national labor organization with
more than 13 million members. The union and
its affiliates represent workers in nearly every
imaginable job field, from the building and
electrical trades to education professionals
and public employees.
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