Tom Dooher
Encyclopedia
Tom Dooher is a teacher
and labor union
activist in the United States
, and president of the 70,000-member teachers union, Education Minnesota
, AFT
, NEA
, AFL-CIO
.
, a suburb of Minneapolis
. He graduated from Robbinsdale Armstrong High School
in 1981, and received a bachelor's degree
from the University of St. Thomas
in 1985.
Dooher returned to the Robbinsdale School District, where he grew up and became a middle school
physical education
teacher and high school
coach, overseeing Armstrong's boys' soccer and girls' track and field
teams. In 1995, he led his unranked Armstrong Falcons boys' soccer team to the Minnesota state semi-finals, losing on a disputed goal to top-ranked and unbeaten Stillwater.
When the AFT and NEA affiliates in Minnesota
proposed merging in 1998, Dooher was a strong proponent of the merged, dually-affiliated state federation.
In 2000, Dooher earned a master's degree
in education from Hamline University
.
In March 2007, Dooher won a contested race to become only the second president in Education Minnesota’s history. He succeeded Judy Schaubach, who retired. Dooher took office July 1, 2007. He is currently a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers and is a member of the Minnesota AFL-CIO executive board.
Dooher is a strong advocate for higher state funding for education and higher teacher salaries (the starting teacher in Minnesota makes $33,000 a year). He is a strong opponent of school vouchers.
. His grandfather, Patrick Corcoran, was a Teamsters
leader who helped found Teamsters Joint Council 32 and acted as a mediator and liaison between the more radical Teamsters Local 574 (located in Minneapolis, Minnesota
) and the national Teamsters unions.
His grandfather was murdered in 1937 for his labor-related activities. His grandfather had returned from a union meeting when one or more assailants attacked him as he walked from the garage to his home. His skull was crushed and he was shot in the head. Law enforcement authorities suspected thugs under the control of Bugs Moran, head of the Chicago Mafia
. Moran opposed Corcoran's efforts to organize workers at Walgreens
, and had already severely beaten Corcoran several times while warning him to stop organizing workers. The Teamsters declared a holiday for Corcoran's funeral, and the event at the Basilica of St. Mary flowed into the street.
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and labor union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
activist in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and president of the 70,000-member teachers union, Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota is an American trade union representing preK-12 teachers, school support staff and higher education faculty in Minnesota. It is affiliated with both the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers , and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO.The union's...
, AFT
American Federation of Teachers
The American Federation of Teachers is an American labor union founded in 1916 that represents teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; local, state and federal employees; higher education faculty and staff, and nurses and other healthcare professionals...
, NEA
National Education Association
The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
, AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
.
Early life
Dooher grew up in Crystal, MinnesotaCrystal, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,698 people, 9,389 households, and 6,102 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,929.3 people per square mile . There were 9,481 housing units at an average density of 1,641.3 per square mile...
, a suburb of Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. He graduated from Robbinsdale Armstrong High School
Robbinsdale Armstrong High School
Robbinsdale Armstrong High School is a high school located in Plymouth, Minnesota, a second-tier suburb of Minneapolis...
in 1981, and received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from the University of St. Thomas
University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
The University of St. Thomas is a private, Catholic, liberal arts, and archdiocesan university located in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States...
in 1985.
Dooher returned to the Robbinsdale School District, where he grew up and became a middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
teacher and high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
coach, overseeing Armstrong's boys' soccer and girls' track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
teams. In 1995, he led his unranked Armstrong Falcons boys' soccer team to the Minnesota state semi-finals, losing on a disputed goal to top-ranked and unbeaten Stillwater.
Union career
Dooher became active in the 1,200-member Robbinsdale Federation of Teachers, AFT, soon after becoming a teacher. In time, he was elected building representative and vice president. He was elected president of the local union in 1997, and resigned his post as a high school soccer coach. While president, he negotiated a contract which included a merit pay proposal.When the AFT and NEA affiliates in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
proposed merging in 1998, Dooher was a strong proponent of the merged, dually-affiliated state federation.
In 2000, Dooher earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in education from Hamline University
Hamline University
-Red Wing location :Hamline was named in honor of Leonidas Lent Hamline, a bishop of the Methodist Church whose interest in the frontier led him to donate $25,000 toward the building of an institution of higher learning in what was then the territory of Minnesota. Today, a statue of Bishop Hamline...
.
In March 2007, Dooher won a contested race to become only the second president in Education Minnesota’s history. He succeeded Judy Schaubach, who retired. Dooher took office July 1, 2007. He is currently a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers and is a member of the Minnesota AFL-CIO executive board.
Dooher is a strong advocate for higher state funding for education and higher teacher salaries (the starting teacher in Minnesota makes $33,000 a year). He is a strong opponent of school vouchers.
Grandfather's murder
Tom Dooher is a third-generation union member. His father, Bob Dooher, worked at Northwestern Bell and was a member of the Communications Workers of AmericaCommunications Workers of America
Communications Workers of America is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States representing about 550,000 members in both the private and public sectors. The union has 27 locals in Canada via CWA-SCA Canada representing about 8,000 members...
. His grandfather, Patrick Corcoran, was a Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
leader who helped found Teamsters Joint Council 32 and acted as a mediator and liaison between the more radical Teamsters Local 574 (located in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
) and the national Teamsters unions.
His grandfather was murdered in 1937 for his labor-related activities. His grandfather had returned from a union meeting when one or more assailants attacked him as he walked from the garage to his home. His skull was crushed and he was shot in the head. Law enforcement authorities suspected thugs under the control of Bugs Moran, head of the Chicago Mafia
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
. Moran opposed Corcoran's efforts to organize workers at Walgreens
Walgreens
Walgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...
, and had already severely beaten Corcoran several times while warning him to stop organizing workers. The Teamsters declared a holiday for Corcoran's funeral, and the event at the Basilica of St. Mary flowed into the street.