Middletown Township Education Association
| Middletown Township Education Association MTEA | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
|
569 Highway 36 Middletown Township, New Jersey USA | |
| Information | |
| Type | Teachers' union |
| School district | Middletown Township Public School District |
| President | Linda McLaughlin |
| Website | |
The Middletown Township Education Association (MTEA) is the Middletown Township Teachers Union. The organization is Middletown's local NEA, NJEA MCEA office.
Teacher strike
The Middletown School District received national attention in the fall of 2001 when its teachers and secretaries went on strike for the second time in three years. The strike disrupted classes from November 30 to December 7, 2001, and 228 teachers and secretaries were jailed in alphabetical order for violating a court back-to-work order. After the strike, members of the union MTEA successfully lobbied to change the state law to prohibit school boards from imposing a contract on their employees (signed into law July 10, 2003). The union, with over 1,200 members, had elected Diane Swaim president since 1983, and re-elected her in May 2007. Swaim retired on January 1, 2008 and was replaced by the First Vice-president, Linda McLaughlin There has not been a strike since 2001. The union and board of education amicably settled the next contract (July 1, 2004- June 30, 2007) in April 2004, months before the expiration of the old contract. The union and board reached a new contract settlement without acrimony for 2007-2010.