Despite national defeat, NEA and AFT work toward mergers in states.

States that the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have given their support for unity, and are calling for guidelines to permit state-level mergers. Reference to voting on a proposed merger of the union; Comments from Bob Chase, president of the NEA; Reference to proposed mergers of other unions in the United States; Details on the AFT convention held in July, 1998. INSET: AFT, NEA ponder unions' role in teacher quality.