Friday, April 07, 2000
Teacher's union losing president
Mooney likely to head statewide group
BY JAMES PILCHER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Tom Mooney
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The Tristate labor movement will lose one of its best-known leaders — and perhaps its most powerful — if Cincinnati Federation of Teachers President Tom Mooney wins statewide office this weekend as expected.
Mr. Mooney has been nominated for president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, with the election scheduled tonight in Cuyahoga Falls at the state federation's 62nd annual convention.
As president of the local 3,800-member union for 21 years, Mr. Mooney has the longest tenure of any CFT president. The union negotiated its first contract with the district in 1977, two years before Mr. Mooney took over.
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WHAT'S NEXT
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If Tom Mooney is elected president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, he will remain president of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers until a special election is held to fill his spot.
An election will be held before the end of this school year.
The leading candidate to replace Mr. Mooney is Rick Beck, a math teacher at Woodward High School who has been chairman of the local union's negotiating committee for 10 years.
Mr. Beck already has the endorsement of union leadership, including Mr. Mooney, should the presidency come open.
The local presidency carries a two-year term. The current term expires in May 2001.
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Since then, the 45-year-old East Price Hill resident has not only helped shape the city's educational policy, but has been a fixture in organized labor throughout the area.
“His voice will be missed locally,” said Dan Radford, executive secretary-treasurer of the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council. “I call him up all the time to talk about all kinds of labor issues, not just about teachers.”
Mr. Mooney said union politics and bargaining with various Cincinnati Public School administrations have come naturally to him.
“Sometimes I've felt I'm in the belly of the beast, given the conservative business climate of Cincinnati. But the labor union isn't only about competitive wages; it's about giving working people a voice,” said Mr. Moo ney, the only candidate to be officially nominated for the state office thus far.
The position is opening with the retirement of OFT President Ron Marec, who is leaving after 22 years as head of the group.
The OFT does not negotiate individual contracts but lobbies the General Assembly and provides negotiating help to districts too small to have a full-time union representative.
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MOONEY FILE
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• Age: 45.
• Residence: East Price Hill.
• Family: Married to Debbie Schneider, regional director of the Service Employees International Union District 925; son Ruairi, 17; daughter Leilah, 11.
• Career: Began teaching in Cincinnati Public Schools in 1974 as a substitute. Signed a teaching contract in 1975 and taught social studies at Bloom and Crest Hills until he was elected CFT president in 1979. He has been vice president of the American Federation of Teachers since 1992.
• Accomplishments: Helped Cincinnati teachers become some of the highest-paid in the state, with a starting salary of $29,885.39 and a top wage of $65,611.48 (effective Jan. 31). Cincinnati teacher salaries are second-highest among Hamilton County's 22 districts, trailing Indian Hill. Named one of the most influential people in education over the last decade by Teacher, a national publication, in 1999.
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If he wins, Mr. Mooney would relocate to OFT offices in Columbus, where he would direct an eight-person staff. His salary will be based on what he would make as a CPS teacher — about $56,000 — plus a supplementary salary to be paid by OFT and negotiated in the future.
It's considered unlikely anyone will run against Mr. Mooney, given his reputation built on a string of successes as CFT president.
During his tenure, Cincinnati teacher salaries went from last among Ohio urban districts to No. 1. In addition, Cincinnati teacher salaries are the second-highest among Hamilton County's 22 districts, trailing only Indian Hill.
“We're a better district because Tom Mooney was here,” said CPS board member Sally Warner. “And I think because he's been around so long, people know they can count on his presence while we've been through several superintendents.”
Mr. Mooney was a social studies teacher at Bloom and Crest Hills before taking over as CFT president, where he makes about $68,000 a year. He has clashed with the district's administration repeatedly since Superintendent Steven Adamowski took over in 1998, most recently in January when a strike was almost called during contract negotiations.
He has also been very outspoken on the district's plans for decentralization and school consolidation.
“He was a very capable partner or adversary, depending on the issue,” Mr. Adamowski said. “But we're going through a time when the dynamics of union labor is changing from being highly centralized to one that is school-based, and I think that Tom's involvement came out of the former model.”
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