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Tucson School District Employees Vote for CWA
Political clout can make all the difference in an organizing campaign. Just ask Local 7026 President Linda Hatfield, who has been working with school system employees in Tucson, Ariz., in their quest for affiliation with CWA.
Canvassing locations spread over 30 square miles, seven of 354 middle management employees represented by the Tucson Unified School District’s Supervisory and Professional Employees quickly collected 192 signatures on a petition supporting affiliation. CWA arranged for an independent election to be run by the League of Women Voters.
Hatfield said the local had reasons to believe that management would abide by the election results, but 10 days before balloting she received a letter saying they had no intention of recognizing CWA.
“We already had our materials out there so, knowing that school board elections were Nov. 5, we decided to go through with the union election anyway,” Hatfield said. The workers voted 102-9 on Sept. 17 to join CWA.
The local, which organized 1,500 administrative and professional employees in Tucson city government last year, supported two new candidates for the school board — both winners — whose votes will ensure approval for the affiliation when the new five-member board sits in January.
The new members are labor-friendly attorney Bruce Burke and Adelita Grijalva, the daughter of newly elected U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-7th).
The unit has many other supporters and plans to present 1,000 letters from voters, parents, other unions and political leaders at the school board’s December meeting.
The Supervisory and Professional Employees, representing supervisors in food preparation, transportation and other services, is preparing to bargain a new three-year contract. Food Service Manager Debra Raether, chief negotiator for the unit, wants to return to the bargaining table with Hatfield by her side.
“Hopefully, next year, whoever holds my position will be wearing a CWA T-shirt,” Raether said.
Others who worked on the campaign include Linda Simmons and Debbie Wilson, Food Services; Bud Waters, Transportation; Larry Toddy, Facilities; Joan Lord, Human Resources; and Karen Cox, Engineering, retired.
Canvassing locations spread over 30 square miles, seven of 354 middle management employees represented by the Tucson Unified School District’s Supervisory and Professional Employees quickly collected 192 signatures on a petition supporting affiliation. CWA arranged for an independent election to be run by the League of Women Voters.
Hatfield said the local had reasons to believe that management would abide by the election results, but 10 days before balloting she received a letter saying they had no intention of recognizing CWA.
“We already had our materials out there so, knowing that school board elections were Nov. 5, we decided to go through with the union election anyway,” Hatfield said. The workers voted 102-9 on Sept. 17 to join CWA.
The local, which organized 1,500 administrative and professional employees in Tucson city government last year, supported two new candidates for the school board — both winners — whose votes will ensure approval for the affiliation when the new five-member board sits in January.
The new members are labor-friendly attorney Bruce Burke and Adelita Grijalva, the daughter of newly elected U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-7th).
The unit has many other supporters and plans to present 1,000 letters from voters, parents, other unions and political leaders at the school board’s December meeting.
The Supervisory and Professional Employees, representing supervisors in food preparation, transportation and other services, is preparing to bargain a new three-year contract. Food Service Manager Debra Raether, chief negotiator for the unit, wants to return to the bargaining table with Hatfield by her side.
“Hopefully, next year, whoever holds my position will be wearing a CWA T-shirt,” Raether said.
Others who worked on the campaign include Linda Simmons and Debbie Wilson, Food Services; Bud Waters, Transportation; Larry Toddy, Facilities; Joan Lord, Human Resources; and Karen Cox, Engineering, retired.