Longtime activist named AFT Retiree of the Year 

Kathy Monaghan says her involvement with the union came as a surprise. Although she joined the AFT-affiliated Superior (Wis.) Federation of Teachers and the local NEA chapter when she began teaching in 1965, she says she became a union activist when her local went on strike in 1967. It was the proactive nature of the federation, she says, that led her to devote 40 years to her local and state unions and to the AFL-CIO.

The AFT honored Monaghan this past November, when it named her the 2007 Retiree of the Year. Each year, AFT retiree chapters nationwide nominate a member for the award; the AFT's retirement committee then selects the winner.

"The award is certainly not something I ever expected" says Monaghan.

But Bob Beglinger, former president of AFT-Wisconsin, wasn't at all surprised Monaghan was chosen, noting that he can't think of anyone more deserving. "Kathy is legendary here in Wisconsin," he says. "In 40 years, she only missed two meetings. That gives you a sense of the kind of dedication that Kathy had."

Monaghan retired from teaching business at Superior High School in 1998 but has remained a union activist. She recently stepped down from her post as the secretary of AFT-Wisconsin, an office she had held since 1969. But she isn't done with the union yet. She has decided to become the president of the Superior federation's retiree chapter.