JPSB revotes authorization for unionization of support workers

The lame duck Jefferson Parish School Board, in an attempt to side step a court challenge to its decision to allow support workers to decide on unionization, voted to schedule a vote on December 8 on the issue of whether the Board itself would designate the Jefferson Federation of Teachers as collective bargaining representative for clerical workers, paraeducators and crossing guards, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) as the collective bargaining representative for cafeteria workers, custodians and transportation employees.

Union vote blocked in Jefferson

A group of business organizations, including the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce sued to block Jefferson Parish School Board support workers from voting today on union representation. A hearing is set November 29th in 24th JDC before Judge Petrie.

SEIU v. NUHW

Tuesday is vote count day in the showdown between SEIU and NUHW at Kaiser.

EFCA = no secret ballot

Labor loves to claim the Employee Free Choice Act [EFCA] does not eliminate secret ballot elections from the National Labor Relations Act. It is true! A secret ballot election remains an *option* for establishing union majority status and certification of a union as the bargaining representative of an appropriate bargaining unit of employees. However, this option can be trumped, eliminated, neutered, stumped, under EFCA. Under the card signing provisions of EFCA, a union would be certified based upon presentation of cards signed by a majority of the employees in a unit appropriate for collective bargaining. No election must be conducted if the union presents cards from a majority of the employees. Even if employees had changed their mind after signing a card, they would still be denied the chance to vote in a secret ballot election.