EC / K-12 NEWS

• Organizing victory for N. CA early childhood educators
• "No Child Left Behind" reauthorization info
• CFT participates in Ed Source "Convening" October 19
• "No public education by corporation," by George Martinez
• Preschool for All project and initiative
• "No Time to Quit," by Miles Myers
• CFT Position Paper on Charter Schools (pdf)
• What CFT members can do about the state budget crisis

Early Care and Education Workers Vote to Join CFT

Northcoast Children's Services staff meet and decide to circulate union authorization cards early in the campaign last year. Sandra Weese, photo

Oakland, CA, January 24 – After months of grass roots organizing, Northcoast Children’s Services (NCS) early care and education workers won a federally-mediated union election earlier this week, choosing to be represented by The California Federation of Teachers (CFT) in contract negotiations.

CFT President Marty Hittelman today welcomed the NCS workers to the union, saying, “Having a union will allow these workers to have the kind of professional support and protection that they need to be effective with the children.”

As a result of the National Labor Relations Board election victory, the CFT will now represent over 240 NCS workers at thirty three sites, serving over 1,000 children in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. NCS is the largest Head Start operator and state preschool provider in Northern California. Said Hittelman, “The CFT hopes that this victory is just one of many that give a voice in the workplace to this largely unrepresented segment of education.”

Emphasizing that quality care and education for the over 1,000 children served is paramount to both the CFT and the newly-affiliated workers, Hittelman said: “This was a great organizing victory for CFT but even more so for the NCS early care and education staff and the families and children they serve.”

After months of effort and untold number of hours meeting with colleagues, board members and management staff, the workers at NCS became convinced that management by itself could not make NCS the BEST agency it could be. They believed that positive change could only be instituted when all concerned parties cooperated and worked together. That meant management and the staff – including those who work directly with the children every day, parents and citizens in the communities. After much discussion they decided to form a union to make sure that their skills and experience were fully utilized and valued.

The closely contested election pitted an employer who clearly did not want the union against a workforce determined to claim their rights under the law to organize a union and have a voice at work. 

With overwhelming majority support for joining the union and support from the community, NCS workers began attending NCS Board meetings asking to discuss the issue of union recognition. In October they made a formal request to be placed on the agenda of the November Board meeting, but NCS management refused. In response, dozens of workers from around the region came to the NCS main office in Arcata for a board meeting where they spoke during the public comment period about their desire to join the CFT. “We have already shown overwhelming support for union representation by signing cards so an election shouldn’t be necessary,” said April Hein. “I would like our agency to respect our choice.”

NCS staff has a longstanding commitment to the area’s children and their parents and had hoped that management would respect their choice, recognize their union and negotiate in good faith. Unfortunately, the Board refused, but undeterred, the teachers pushed forward. The next step was a request for the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election to recognize the union. The NCS organizing committee unanimously agreed to make this request and soon the wheels were once again in motion for an NCS union.

Despite the holiday slow-down the NCS organizing committee continued to reach out to their co-workers and maintain support for the union. The ballots were counted on Tuesday, January 22 in the NLRB office in San Francisco and the NCS employees sent a message to management with a strong majority voting YES to have a voice at work.

NCS organizing committee members said the following in reaction to the victory:

• “We are so pleased with the integrity of our colleagues and the courage they showed in standing up for themselves and for what is right,” said Jennifer Turley.
• “We thank NCS parents and the north coast community for their support during the last year. Now is the time for all of us to come together on behalf of the children and families we serve,” said Connie Pardi.
• Cindy Lindgren said, “We want to work together with NCS management and engage in a constructive dialogue that we hope will lead to quick agreement on a fair and just contract, which is in everyone’s interest.”

CFT Early Childhood Education Organizing Project Coordinator Sandra Weese observed that “The workers were amazing.  They stood up for themselves and for the children, and they never backed down until they won.”

Congratulations NCS staff, and welcome to the CFT/AFT!