AFT, Local 212 MATC

If you haven’t voted yet, today’s the day, Tuesday, April 7th, to vote for workers’, women’s and voting rights! Vote for AFT Local 212 endorsed Chris Taylor for the Wisconsin Supreme Court! Send a message to Trump and the MAGA crowd!

56 years ago today, the MATC faculty began a 40 day strike that transformed the college and its teachers. what they learned and taught us are still valid today. And here is the video produced by retired Local 212 Executive VP Kevin Mulvenna including interviews with many of the teachers who went on strike and are no longer with us. https://vimeo.com/23559098?&login=true

Op Ed: Lessons of the 1969 MATC Strike How public employees beat the odds to create a union.

The fight to hold predatory colleges accountable continues. Wisconsin legislators, Angelito Tenorio, Ben Desmidt and Ryan Clancy have introduced 4 bills that are generating national attentions. See

Wisconsin Bills Take Aim at Predatory For-Profit Colleges Among the proposals is a new path for students to sue fraudulent career colleges.

Despite relentless Russian attacks, the dedication and bravery of Ukrainian doctors and nurses has prevented collapse of their healthcare system, but they often lack essential equipment. “Be Like Us!” is a Ukrainian healthcare workers union with almost 90,000 members organizing to win better wages and working conditions and to prevent hospital closures. The Ukraine Solidarity Network (USN) has launched an ambitious fund drive to help them purchase life-saving hospital equipment.

I hope that AFT Local 212 will support Ukrainian healthcare workers and consider a donation. So far two unions have endorsed and donated: CWA Local 7250 and the Minnesota Nurses Association.

Donate to Support Ukraine's Nurses – Provide Essential Equipment, organized by KRYLA Despite the relentless attacks from the invaders, health care in Ukraine … KRYLA needs your support for Support Ukraine's Nurses – Provide Essential Equipment

Check out this excellent column by Bria Burris, the FAST Fund's executive director, on the need for the state to increase its support for MATC students and the FAST Fund's flood recovery efforts.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2025/09/15/matc-students-technical-college-government-assistance/86064390007/?tbref=hp&fbclid=IwY2xjawM3y85leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkA6T-T8nHwv4bLYee0rPVNKb8M5d8apQ6XdQy4jlOQgWr-H1Yqe5XgF0G1M_aem_FeB7XT_C8VmTzW23G6MwVA

Milwaukee flooding reveals financial challenges most college students face | Opinion Higher education is not a luxury. We need to ensure that our students, including non-traditional and parent students, have the resources they need.

The Local 212 FAST Fund and the Sherman Park Grocery Store have partnered to help MATC students recover from the flood.

MATC students receive support for flood damage A north side grocery store owner is stepping up to support students affected by historic flooding, even as his own business deals with flood damage.

Community and local 212 demand that MATC reinstate the multicultural center's 4 student service specialists.

Dozens protest elimination of four multicultural jobs at Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee Area Technical College cut four jobs in the former Office of Multicultural Services, which has been renamed the Office of Community Impact.

The Local 212 FAST Fund at MATC and its 4th annual garden party were featured on WTMJ4's Morning Blend this am.

The Garden Party: Growing Support for MATC Students The Garden Party is a major fundraising event designed to raise money for basic needs grants to MATC students.

AFT Local 212 has endorsed Justice Chris Taylor for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race in April 2026. As Taylor said she's worked her whole life protecting people's rights. Her opponent has worked her whole life trying to take them away.

In Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, the administration proposes cutting the maximum annual Pell Grant from $7,395 to $5,710, a drop that would bring the grant to its lowest level in over a decade, and slashing funding for the Federal Work-Study program, which helps students pay for college through part-time jobs. These changes are a threat to the education of MATC's students and the college itself.