A History Lesson

• The Michigan Educational Support Professional Association (MESPA) was formed in 1976.

• There are more than 500 locals totaling more than 37,000 members throughout the state.

• Before joining MEA, most ESP members belonged to other unions such as the Teamsters, Operating Engineers or the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

• Since 1965, teachers watched ESP members belong to labor groups that provided little service, little understanding of ESP problems and bad contracts.

• In 1974-75 an MEA task force was appointed to study the concept of providing service to ESP. The Representative Assembly (RA) adopted the recommendation of the task force to provide bargaining assistance to ESP.

• In May 1981 the third annual MESPA RA voted to join the National Education Association (NEA). Michigan ESP was the largest support staff group to ever join NEA.

• In 1982 MEA delegates to the RA elected Peggy Brown, ESP-NEA president, to the NEA Board of Directors.

• In 1984 ESP members voted to join MEA. Combining teachers and ESP made MEA one of the largest single unions dealing with public education.

• In 2001 the NEA RA adopted the proposal to change the title "educational support personnel" to "education support professionals."

Updated: February 18, 2009 6:58 PM