MFPE President Eric Feaver
Eric Feaver is the first president of the Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE), a new union of former Montana public employee unions: Montana Education Association and Montana Federation of Teachers merged into MEA-MFT in 2000 and merged again in 2018 with the Montana Public Employees Association.
MFPE represents 25,000 professional and classified employees working in public schools, the university system, Head Start, state, county, and city governments, and private health care all over Montana.
Eric, was born in Wyoming and raised in Oklahoma. In 1967, he earned a BA in government, history and economics from the University of Oklahoma; in 1972, an MA in American history from the University of Maryland; and in 1999 an honorary doctorate of education from Montana State University.
1969-70, Eric served in Vietnam as a combat medic in the 4th Infantry Division. Among several commendations, he earned a Combat Medical Badge and Bronze Star.
From 1974-1984, Eric taught English and social studies in Helena public schools. Eric has served as president of MEA, president of MEA-MFT, and now president of MFPE since 1984. In 2006, he was first elected a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers and serves on the AFT executive council.
Eric has received numerous awards but the three he is most proud of are the “Citizens Award” from the Montana Trial Lawyers Association, the Montana Nurses “Friend of Nursing” Award, and the “Lifetime Service Award” from the Montana AFL-CIO.