Rooted in History
History of UTD
It was a small dinner meeting in the cafeteria at Miami Senior High School on March 12, 1930, that would prove to be the catalyst needed to bring real change. This led to the inception of the Dade County Classroom Teachers’ Association (DCCTA), the first iteration of what would now be known as the United Teachers of Dade. The first headquarters for the Association would be located in the administration building of Miami Senior High (Dade’s first senior high school),
in the basement storage area underneath an old stairway.
Through the rest of the 30’s, the DCCTA was able to establish a code of ethics, introduced a group health insurance program, sponsored a resolution to set up the Teachers Retirement System, and was instrumental in getting the state legislature to increase state funding of education from $4 million to $7 million. As we move into the 40’s, we see more strides made in support of improving the quality of life for our teachers.
A maximum salary of $2,500 for teachers without the need to be rated is implemented. New retirement regulations were fought for and agreed upon to include a 30-year tenure rather than the prior 35 years before an employee could retire. Federal housing privileges were also extended to teachers. The union also reached a membership height as out of 1,200 eligible teachers, a whopping 1,197 were members of the union. Then in 1948, a lawsuit was filed by the union president, eventually leading to $1,000,000 being back paid to teachers, strengthening the power of the union.
With an all-time high in membership following the 40’s and the burgeoning number of students in Dade County, well over 100,000, DCCTA continues to work on the benefits and quality of life for their members.
A scholarship fund is introduced for the children of its members. The association and the University of Florida began offering extension courses, intriguing members to continue their education. A push for the opposition of “merit” pay was highlighted as this move was seen as a subjective criterion and something that would hurt more than help in efforts to unite teachers.
Propositions for salary increases, improvements in the retirement system, and reimbursement for unused sick days would round out the emphasized attempts to continue making strides as a united body.
Increasing union dues from $1 to $3 allowed steps to be taken like establishing a fund to hopefully begin renting their own offices and even setting sights on their own headquarters in the future. Further advancing efforts to gain independence from the school administration.
All was not well in the world of Dade County education however, as a $1,000,000 deficit was faced by the schools as a result of 10% state cuts in funding.
How would the association rebound in the next decade? How would combating segregation look like in the DCCTA? How would they respond to a surging student population that now includes Cuban refuges as we head into the 1960’s.
In 1960, the union briefly moved out of their basement office to a room in the Lindsey Hopkins Education Center, housing only three desks. At this point, Alan Stratton served as the president with his executive board rounded out by two employees of Carol City Junior High, Pat Tornillo and Joe Whelpton. A push was made for a third to join, Janet Dean, who went on to lead the salary committee.
A recommendation to hire a full-time staff person (Dr. Carl Blair) and the increase of dues from $3 to $6 was proposed, which signaled the promise of what the union could grow into and become as more attention is given to the union’s progress.
In 1962, Pat Tornillo began his campaign to become union president, with his primary selling point revolving around his desire to merge the distinct black and white organizations together. This led to the union becoming the first integrated union south of the Mason-Dixon line. In 1964, the union’s headquarters moved once again, this time settling on the second floor of the Seaboard Medical Life Building. This windowless, 6 room suite would continue advancing the autonomy the union had from school administration. In 1965, after threatening the boycotting of summer school, Dade teachers received the largest salary increases they have ever received. “The day teachers got off their knees, stopped begging and started bargaining” – Former State Senator Jack Gordon.
By 1968, Pat Tornillo and Janet Dean had galvanized the political power of teachers in Dade County, leading to a mass resignation walkout. A form of protest that saw thousands of teachers meet daily at the Miami Marine Stadium, where they bravely rallied for three weeks until their demands were met (salary increases and reduction of class sizes). In 1974, with the desire of strengthening their political savviness, Classroom Teachers Association and Dade Federation of Teachers combined, creating what is known still today as the United Teachers of Dade. Unsurprisingly, the union had outgrown their office space as well, purchasing a 5-story building on Coral Way to house their new operations. The 1980’s ushered in a new and innovative energy around UTD. Teachers were able to help shape the decisions which affected how they teach through the Carnegie Report and its focus on shared decision-making provisions. Satellite learning centers, teacher education centers, and the Dade Academy of the teaching arts served as a myriad of ways for public educators to further develop their skills and hone their education.
In the first few years of 1980, competition was faced from NEA to serve as the sole bargaining agent. This proved to be unsuccessful as UTD and its members achieved a landslide victory. Serving as one of the most lop-sided and demonstrative displays of support seen in the nation to this time as UTD received more than 75% of the vote.
Salaries for beginning teachers has also grown to $25,000 a significant upgrade from the 70’s where only the top earners would sniff $18,000. Top earners in the 80’s, those teachers possessing doctorate degrees and worked during summer school could also pull in north of $60,000 per year.
The 1990’s halted the political prowess of union entities, primarily in the education sector as more is expected of schools although they are receiving less and less.
What would UTD do to combat this issue? Unrelenting bargaining efforts. This allowed teachers to continue receiving salary increases and continued growing their shared decision-making process.
1995 saw the inclusion of the school system’s office and clerical personnel into UTD’s oversight, reinforcing the unit’s standing as the largest local union in the region after merging with the United Office Personnel of Dade (UOPD). Using this momentum, UTD breaks ground on construction of a new headquarters on Biscayne Boulevard in 1998.
In 2004, after 40 years without an election, Karen Aronowitz becomes the first female president of UTD. AFT takes over the union to ensure new layers of accountability are put into place to ensure open and legal finances. Turmoil strikes the nation after the turn of the new century. By 2007, the U.S. economy had fallen into the worst financial crisis since the great depression. This led to the state education budget being slashed, causing UTD to pivot directives and focusing on the retention of education positions and maintaining employer paid insurance. Testing moves to the forefront of discussions and debates as FCAT creates another hoop to jump through for educators. UTD then reemerges as a bigger, stronger, unit. With over 2,000 new members joining the ranks. By the 2010’s, Union activism has reached another all-time high, whether that be in politics, educational policy, and influence in the community. No time is wasted with outreach and policy push as partnerships and relationships are built, thrusting forwards with hopes of having the best public schools in the nation. In 2010, Senate Bill 6 is fought tooth and nail and protests break out across the state. Ultimately leading the governor to veto the bill, killing it.
UTD continues their progressive push in 2013 by electing the first African-American president in Frederick Ingram and their first Latina secretary-treasurer of UTD, Karla Hernandez-Mats, who is then elected as the first Latina president in 2016. Successfully re-elected in 2019 and 2022, President Hernandez-Mats was instrumental in creating and passing the first every countywide teacher and staff pay raise referendum, delivering $1 billion over four years. This increased teacher pay by a record breaking 18.5%.
In 2019, UTD organizes 12 full buses of union members to “Rally to Tally” joining over 5,000 educators gathering at the Florida state capitol fighting for better funding for public education. In 2020, financial freedom rings its bells for UTD as they are finally debt-free, allowing them to outright purchase their new headquarters in Miami Springs, Florida. The push for teacher benefits and quality of life doesn’t stop in this new day and age as UTD was able to successfully negotiate a full week of
fall break, giving their members and public educators the opportunity to spend important time with their families throughout the Thanksgiving holiday. And in 2022, UTD was
able to pass a second referendum. Increasing teacher and staff pay from 2018 and securing a 8.5% pay increase for teachers across the county. UTD will continue to strive for equity and educational freedom in their public institutions. Fighting relentlessly for employee
rights, wellness, and the success of students in all our schools.
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