The Declining Fortunes of Michigan's Teachers' Union

By Joanna Richardson

For the Michigan Education Association, the last few years must have seemed like a bad dream.

Since Gov. John Engler was elected to his first term in 1990, the 127,000-member union--long considered the most formidable state affiliate of the National Education Asso~c~iation--has met with one defeat after another.

Things got off on a bad foot when the Republican Governor, who had tangled with the union as a state legislator, called for top M.E.A. leaders to step down, said Beverly Wolkow, the...