Classified Employees Association—Political involvement and organizing are keys to reversing outsourcing

It took three election cycles to accomplish their goal of changing the make-up of the Mat-Su Borough School Board.  Working together, Mat-Su Classified Employees Association and Mat Su EA members used their political expertise to oust board members who had voted to outsource custodial positions and replace them with employee-friendly board members.   

Finally the hard work paid off:  in a decisive 5-2 decision last June, the school board voted to fire its private contractor and bring back more than 100 custodians as district employees.   This reversed a board decision three years earlier to privatize the positions.  As a result, about 114 full time positions are back on the district’s payroll—and the custodians are back as members of CEA.

“Political action was a whole new world for me, and outside my comfort zone,” says CEA President Rick Byrnes.  “But my attitude toward politics has changed 180 degrees.  I know now that’s where the power is.  That’s where things get done.”  He cautions that political involvement requires constant vigilance.  Last fall’s local elections featured sensitive races on both the school board and assembly.   Politically active members from the two locals, working through the PACE Committee, got involved in the races and succeeded in holding the line against anti-employee candidates. 

In addition to the political successes, the rest of the story of how CEA overturned the district’s failed three-year experiment with outsourcing is a classic tale.  Its main elements are clever organizing, bird-dogging the private contract, and never, ever giving up.  “Three years ago we lost a bitter campaign to stop the district from privatizing those positions,” said CEA President Rick Byrnes.  “But from Day 1 after that, we were working to get the custodians back.”

A crucial ingredient in CEA’s success has been the local’s close relationship with its certificated colleagues in Mat-Su EA.  “We got massive support from the teachers,” said Rick, “everything from showing up in force and testifying at board meeting, to documenting conditions in the schools when the contractor cut corners.”  For MSEA the help was a given.  MSEA President Jill Showman put it this way:  “The classified employees are our friends and colleagues.  They’re a critical part of the team that works together to make sure our Valley children receive an excellent education.”  She paused, then smiled. “And it didn’t hurt that one of the outsourcing advocates on the school board mentioned something about privatizing nurses next.”

Besides the critical importance of political organizing and both locals working closely together, what are the other lessons learned over the past three years?

Stay in close touch with your people though they may no longer be members.  CEA kept the custodians updated on the progress of its outsourcing lawsuit (ultimately unsuccessful) and other steps it was taking. In 2006 the district unilaterally shut down schools for the month of July.  CEA came out swinging and won back pay and other financial restitution for its members.  “When a district pulls something like this, it gives us a strong organizing tool,” said Rick.  “It created CEA members who are much more activist and vocal and even willing to stand on a corner and wave a political sign.”

Reach out to your natural allies.  CEA, working with MSEA, established close ties with other unions in the Valley.  The two education associations helped their fellow union members in key board elections for the electrical and telephone utilities.  In turn, the other unions supported MSEA/CEA endorsed candidates for school board.  “By working together with our union brothers and sisters, we changed the make-up of these three important public boards,” said Rick, “and in effect changed the face of the Valley.”

Analyze the district’s outsourcing contract and monitor it carefully.  “This is where you’ll find evidence of profit going into corporate pockets,” said Rick, “while the schools get dirtier, the maintenance costs go up, and the contract workers’ pay qualifies them for every social program available.”  Track down the horror stories from the buildings—e.g., a contract worker fired for downloading porn on a school computer.  The high turnover, the slacking off in safety precautions such as fingerprinting new hires.  Results of the research were compiled in three-ring binders that went to every school board member before last summer’s vote.

Work the media, but don’t count on them to be your friends.  Establish relations with reporters based on honesty, credibility, and accessibility.  But don’t think you’ll necessarily get the “slant” you want from their coverage.   And make sure you don’t ignore the brave new world of cyber journalism.  Once the story is posted online, readers post their comments.  “With a contentious issue like outsourcing, you have to make sure your side is represented, because you can be sure that your opponents will be.”

Take comfort in knowing you are not alone.  “When you’re up against something like outsourcing,” said Rick, “that’s when you really come to realize the value of being part of the NEA-Alaska and NEA family.  There’s an invaluable network of expertise and experience that we tapped into at the governance and UniServ levels.  We’re extremely grateful.  No way could we have pulled this off on our own.”