W Post: AFT restarts clock for WTU election

[Omaha Steve]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcschools/2010/08/aft_restarts_clock_for_union_e.html

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has intervened to end the internal scuffling that has left its local affiliate, the Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) without a timely election. WTU members, who were supposed to vote on officers, executive board members and other officials in May, will now receive ballots by mid-September. A final tally will be announced Oct. 4 and the winners officially seated the following day.

The election matters because the outcome will have a significant bearing the union's level of cooperation in implementing the controversial new labor agreement, negotiated with the District by Weingarten and WTU president George Parker. General vice president Nathan Saunders, one of Parker's election opponents--along with Phelps High School teacher Elizabeth Davis--has been an outspoken critic of the deal, and a long-time adversary of Parker's.

The new schedule is one result of an AFT investigation into the mess, which examined: an attempt by an internal committee to keep Parker off the ballot because he missed an April 30 deadline for filing nominating petitions; a lawsuit filed by Saunders, charging that Parker was subverting the election process, and a decision by the WTU executive board to suspend Saunders' union salary.

Those who want to re-visit the tortured history can do so here and here.

After hearing seven hours of testimony from all the players on July 21, a three-member panel of AFT officials decided that the election process should start from scratch immediately, with all positions open to all members. The AFT will serve as a de facto elections committee, sending out notices of nominations and then handing the contest off to the American Arbitration Association, which will oversee the election. The AAA will mail the ballots, then collect, count and certify them. Saunders will also get his salary back.

FULL story at link.