School District education union looks to split from parent organizations

Not even an air horn could squelch the angry chant of “no” that spread among hundreds of Clark County School District support staff members who were asked to consider cutting ties to their parent unions Thursday.

“This was sprung on us for a reason, to railroad it through,” said 15-year school janitor John Bailey, asserting that leaders of the Education Support Employees Association called the meeting on short notice to keep members from voting against the action. “They’re going to be surprised because a lot of people are here and pissed off.”

The request from leadership of the support staff local: Cut ties with the Nevada State Education Association and its parent, the National Education Association. The ESEA and the district’s teachers union combine to form one of the largest NEA chapters in the country. The support staff local represents nearly 11,000 workers. The move to disaffiliate would make the support staff union independent.

That request failed to go over well with school bus drivers, janitors and cooks. It also drew national attention. Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association, which represents more than 3 million teachers and school staff, threatened “legal challenge” if disaffiliation is approved.

In a letter to the ESEA, Van Roekel said the local union broke its own bylaws by giving just three working days’ notice of the meeting when 10 days are required.

Although members’ general sentiments Thursday seemed to be against the move, results of the vote will not be known until the ballots are counted. But the votes shouldn’t be tallied at all, contended Gary Peck, president of the Nevada State Education Association, who also said the meeting violated the union’s own bylaws.

The state union would lose about a quarter of its 24,000 members if the vote passes, but that’s not where the concern lies, Peck said.

“We’re concerned for the welfare of our members, that they be well represented,” Peck said.

Up to now, the state and national affiliates have represented local support staff’s interests to lawmakers, also providing staffing and labor lawyers to the local. The support staff union has even boasted of these affiliations as “reasons to belong,” according to its website, noting that the affiliates give workers “a voice at the state Legislature” and “access to the buying power and lobbying power” of the nation’s largest professional employees organization.

It’s unclear what prompted the push to leave the state and national unions. Support staff union President John Carr didn’t return repeated calls from the Review-Journal about the issue. Members were told Thursday that the split would enable the union to lower dues.

Currently, members pay $20.15 per biweekly pay period if they’re full-time employees. About half of all dues are sent to the state union, a quarter of dues also goes to the national union. Just 17 percent of the money stays with the local union.

Several members at the meeting asked local union leaders Thursday if they’re pushing for disaffiliation in exchange for the Clark County School District agreeing to a 2 percent pay increase for cost of living. The questions weren’t answered during the chaotic meeting.

Members were also asked Thursday to vote for new contract terms offered by the district, which included an item about the offered pay increase.

Contact reporter Trevon Milliard at tmilliard@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.