▁to ▁advoc ate ▁mer ger . ▁She ▁o vers aw ▁several ▁state ▁and ▁local ▁mer ger ▁efforts , ▁particularly ▁in ▁Minnesota , ▁Mont ana ▁and ▁Florida . ▁The ▁A FT ▁and ▁NE A ▁also ▁continued ▁to ▁work ▁together ▁on ▁federal ▁education ▁policy , ▁and ▁renew ed ▁their ▁no - raid ▁p act ▁regularly . ▁ ▁A ▁second ▁challenge ▁was ▁organiz ational . ▁Feld man ▁pushed ▁for ▁and ▁won ▁convention ▁appro val ▁for ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁an ▁executive ▁vice ▁president ▁for ▁the ▁A FT , ▁the ▁first ▁new ▁executive ▁officer ▁to ▁be ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁union ' s ▁gover ning ▁structure ▁in ▁its ▁history . ▁Nat ▁La C our , ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Te ach ers ▁of ▁New ▁Orleans , ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁position . ▁But ▁Feld man ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁overcome ▁all ▁the ▁union ' s ▁organiz ational ▁and ▁political ▁problems . ▁In ▁late ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁about ▁ 3 , 5 0 0 ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁A FT ' s ▁health ▁care ▁division , ▁almost ▁all ▁of ▁them ▁in ▁Rh ode ▁Island , ▁dis aff ili ated ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁disag re ement ▁about ▁the ▁union ' s ▁willing ness ▁to ▁spend ▁money ▁organ izing ▁new ▁members . ▁The ▁health ▁care ▁workers ▁subsequently ▁formed ▁an ▁independent ▁union , ▁the ▁United ▁N urs es ▁and ▁Al lied ▁Prof ession als , ▁and ▁later ▁ra ided ▁several ▁A FT ▁health ▁care ▁loc als ▁in ▁Rh ode ▁Island ▁and ▁Verm ont . ▁ ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁six ▁years ▁of