Unions gear up for fight over school district workers

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Monday, Sept. 30, 2002 | 9:20 a.m.

The fight to represent the Clark County School District's support employees will begin heating up this week as the two competing unions complete their plans for a membership vote.

The current union, the Education Support Employees Association, is being challenged by Teamsters Local 14 for representation of the district's 8,000 bus drivers, food service workers, custodians and office personnel.

In an attempt to boost its membership, ESEA officials said they are paying current members $25 for every new recruit they bring in. The Teamsters are not offering cash incentives, a spokeswoman said.

The Nevada Local Government Employee Management Relations Board called for the vote last week after three days of hearings. The election must be held within 30 days, according to the order.

The Teamsters began rallying the support employees more than a year ago, following the collapse of the association's health trust. Workers were left with unpaid medical bills and in some instances those debts were sent to collection agencies. The $8 million in outstanding debts has been largely resolved, ESEA President Doug McCain aid.

In order to be recognized for contract negotiations, a union must show its membership accounts for at least 50 percent of the eligible employees plus one person. In order to win the election, the winning union must have 50 percent plus one vote of the ballots cast, Teamsters campaign coordinator Kathy Naumann said.

The ESEA currently has about 56 percent of the support employees signed up as members. In addition to the $25 incentive for current members to bring in new members, the person who brings in the most recruits will win two airline tickets that were donated to the union, McCain said.

Some support employees said they were given signing bonuses of $50 cash when they joined ESEA.

While Teamsters representatives said they plan to have the final election agreement signed by both sides Tuesday, ESEA officials said they are exploring their legal options to challenge the order for an election, McCain said.

"If we have to go through with the vote, we'll be ready," McCain said. "But right now we're looking at all the other options."