WTU Prez George Parker Loses Control Of Union Operations

AFT, Parent Organization Enacts Limited Administratorship of WTU
On August 5, I reported on this blog that the American Federation of Teachers executive council issued an order requiring at long last that Washington Teachers Union members would have a union election of officers. The order stated that AFT would retain jurisdiction to ensure compliance . In addition to proceeding with local union elections, the order also required that the Washington Teachers' Union restore Nathan Saunders, WTU General VP's salary forthwith and grant approval of his leave of absence from DCPS through the election. Well it shouldn't come as any surprise that George Parker ( whose term as teachers' union president ended June 30, 2010) refused to comply with the terms of AFT's order. As reported by the DC Schools Insider blog on August 16, AFT Prez Randi Weingarten issued an ultimatum to Parker to 'comply or else'. Parker was given until noon on August 17 to comply with the AFT August 4 order. Parker's refusal to comply with Weingarten's directive by the deadline date has lead to President Weingarten placing the WTU at 11:30 am on August 17 under limited administratorship. In an August 17 letter to George Parker, Weingarten states: "This action (administratorship) is part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that the WTU elections are carried out in a manner consistent with the WTU Constitution and the AFT executive council Decision and Order dated August 4, 2010." Weingarten revealed in her correspondence to Parker that she has sent an electronic copy of a letter to union members notifying them of this action. In addition, she made Parker aware that he will be contacted shortly for a date and time for the administratorship hearing to be scheduled. Al Squire, AFT Director of the Southern region will serve as the administrator.

Weingarten stated in an August 17 letter to union members : "I have received written notice that the leadership and executive board of the WTU have refused to comply with the order issued by the AFT executive council. This noncompliance constitutes a denial of the democratic right of WTU members to participate in a timely, fair and transparent election process. None of us has the right to overrule or subjugate the democratic rights of any members of your union or any other union. For this reason the AFT executive council has voted to place the WTU in a administratorship for the purpose of conducting the internal election."

Read Bill Turque's article on the actions that led to this takeover (below).

Weingarten to WTU: Comply or else by Bill Turque
"AFT president Randi Weingarten says Washington Teachers' Union President George Parker has until noon Tuesday to comply with an Aug. 4 order to hold a mid-September election for new officers and delegates, or the contest will be taken out of his hands and conducted by the national parent organization.
In a letter to Parker on Monday, Weingarten said that unless AFT gets "an unequivocal sworn undertaking" from WTU complying with the order, an administrator "will be appointed effective forthwith and without further notice to restore the rights of members ... to secure and safeguard the vital records and assets of the WTU from immediate threat, and to take such actions as are necessary to protect the interests of the membership."

Elections were scheduled for May but held up because of a dispute over the legitimacy of an internal committee that handles some aspects of the contest. Parker and the union's executive committee reset the election for late November, contending that they wouldn't have accurate membership lists until later in the new school year. Also swirling in the mix is the long time feud between Parker and general vice president Nathan Saunders, once allies, but now opponents in the presidential race. The executive board voted to eliminate Saunders's $131,000 annual salary and withheld renewal of his leave of absence from classroom duties because of what it characterized as his refusal to account for the time he has spent on union business.

But after a July 21st hearing at AFT headquarters, Weingarten ordered a mid-September election with ballots to be counted Oct. 4, and said anyone who was an active member June 30 was eligible to vote. She also ordered Saunders placed back on the union payroll, calling the timing of the decision to zero out his salary "unfortunate."

In an Aug. 13 letter asking Weingarten to reconsider, Parker said Saunders is strictly a WTU matter. He also said the election orders are illegal and step on the prerogatives of the WTU executive committee. He contended that the June 30 eligibility cut-off would effectively disenfranchise hundreds of new teachers now in the process of signing up for union membership. (What he didn't say is that it might also allow teachers fired or excessed after that date -- union members who may might not look so favorably on reelecting Parker -- access to a ballot).

"We are greatly concerned about the damage caused by AFT's actions here," wrote Parker, who declined to comment on Weingarten's ultimatum early Monday evening because he had not spoken with his lawyers. "