American Federation of Teachers Honors Three Affiliates
for Outstanding Labor-Management Cooperation

Washington, D.C. – Three AFT affiliate unions, the Commack Teachers Association, Los Angeles College Faculty Guild and the United Federation of Teachers received the 2004 AFT-Saturn/UAW Partnership Award in recognition of their innovative programs demonstrating exceptional union-management collaboration.

"These programs show that even in difficult budget times, labor and management working as a team can help to ensure the quality of public schools and services that we all rely on," said Sandra Feldman, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

Since 1997 the AFT-Saturn/UAW Partnership Award has honored joint labor-management partnerships or programs that demonstrate trust, teamwork and shared decision-making.

"By highlighting successful union-management programs, we hope to sow the seeds of similar innovative and effective programs across the country, said Sherrie Childers-Arb, director of corporate communications for the Saturn Corporation. "It is the students, patients and citizens who will reap the harvest of high-quality public services, schools, and healthcare."

This year’s award-winning programs are:

Professional Council – Commack Teachers Association and the Commack School District, Commack N.Y.

The Professional Council, a union/school district committee in existence for over 25 years, has helped to mold the district’s educational philosophy. Among other accomplishments, it created an extensive new teacher orientation and mentoring program, which has helped to support educators when they need it most.

The program includes an intensive four-day orientation that steeps the teachers in everything they need to know from the school district’s history to its computer network. During the first year on the job, teachers are paired with an experienced mentor teacher in the same building and subject manner. New teachers also attend monthly meetings with their peers to discuss common concerns and hear presentations by master teachers.

The mentoring program has helped retain new teacers by assisting them in the critical first year of their career. It is so successful that New York state is copying several of the program’s components for a new statewide teacher mentoring program.

Joint Labor/Management Benefits Committee (JLMBC) – Los Angeles College Faculty Guild and Los Angeles Community College District, Los Angeles, Calif.

While healthcare costs are skyrocketing and benefits are being slashed for many workers and their families, the JLMBC has helped to successfully contain costs of the district’s health and related benefits program while maintaining and improving the quality of the benefits available to employees.

JLMBC has accomplished this remarkable feat by diligently working together and effectively communicating with members. For example, in April 2003 when faced with astronomical healthcare rate increases, the JLMBC quickly put together a series of recommendations to restructure the health benefits program that ensured the continuity of quality healthcare for employees at a reasonable and sustainable cost to the district. The joint committee also created an informative brochure to alert employees about the changes. The brochure included helpful Q&As, cost-saving tips and side-by-side comparisons of available healthcare plans.

This and other JLMBC activities have helped create a congenial atmosphere in which the district administration and staff work together that prevents conflict and maintain the focus on first-class higher educational opportunities.

Science and Technology LEGO ROBOTICS Leadership Program – United Federation of Teachers and Staten Island School District, New York, N.Y.

Through the support of his union and school principal, new teacher Deric Borrero began a novel, hands-on program at Rocco Laurie Middle School 72 to encourage low-income students’ interest in science and technology. The afterschool science and technology enrichment program also has involved parents in their children’s science events and competitions. Due to high demand, the program is being offered this year as part of a summer school day camp.

The LEGO ROBOTICS program has piqued the academic curiosity of many Rocco Laurie students by weaving together many subjects -- science, math, technology and language arts – through its cooperative learning, team-oriented activities. Currently, several other middle schools in the district are considering implementing the LEGO ROBOTICS program as a way to engage students.

# # # #