Rest in Power Ginger Palmer

R.I.P. Gunvor (Ginger) Palmer (nee Nelson). Ginger Palmer a retired Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) instructor, died on May 15, 2022.  Ginger was an American Federation of Teachers Local 212 member who began her MATC career in the Continuation School. She later taught English until her retirement.

Ginger was one of the faculty members who risked their jobs when they went on strike for 44 days in the bitter January cold during the historic and successful 1969 strike. The strike occurred when it was illegal for public employees to strike.

The faculty were striking for a new collective bargaining agreement that included better benefits and the elimination of nonprofessional duties such as hall monitoring and elevator duty. Ginger is pictured with other retired Local 212 leaders in the attached photo.

The victorious strike ended the requirement that faculty punch a time clock and operate the college’s elevators. It also forced the administration to commit to regular meetings between the college president and Local 212’s leadership. While shared governance has remained an elusive goal, the strike was critical in getting the MATC Board and administration to at least recognize its legitimacy. Finally, the strikers won a 7% salary increase.

 All MATC employees owe a debt of gratitude to Ginger, the other strikers, and all the union members, past and present, who have fought hard for the benefits that we enjoy today.  We truly stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. One way to honor Ginger is to continue organizing to ensure that MATC faculty are treated with dignity and compensated fairly.

Rest in Power Ginger Palmer.

For more on the historic Local 212 strike go to this link: https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2021/02/10/op-ed-lessons-of-the-1969-matc-strike/