For Immediate Release
Tuesday, January 09, 2001
School Board Votes 6-1 to Recognize AFSCME as Union for Food Service Workers
BARTOW, FL —Polk County's 726 school food service workers today became part of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, Local 2227, after the school board granted voluntary union recognition. The decision in favor of the union was recommended by Board Chairman Bob Macey and by Jim Thornhill, superintendent of schools, and it passed by a 6-1 vote.
The union said food service workers needed the same democratic voice in their workplace as the 2,300 other blue-collar school board workers in Polk County already represented by the local. Statewide, AFSCME has 25,000 members in its Council 79.
"We're very pleased that the board built on the longstanding collective bargaining relationship with AFSCME by agreeing to recognize the union without a lengthy, potentially contentious election battle," said Richard Thetonia, organizing director of AFSCME Council 79. "We also appreciate the enthusiastic participation of dozens of workers who led the union organizing committee and built majority support among their coworkers."
AFSCME Local 2227 President Craig Lehning told school board members at today's meeting that taking the matter to an election conducted by the Public Employee Relations Commission would be an unnecessary delay of up to six months. Food service worker Shirley Smith also spoke for the union.
The union gained support from Macey and Thornhill over the past month by demonstrating that a majority of the workers had signed authorization cards asking the union to bargain collectively on their behalf. A group of 80 workers comprised the union support committee, and many of them accompanied AFSCME organizers on visits to the homes of coworkers last summer.
Council 79 has 25,000 members in public services and health care facilities around the state. Nationally, AFSCME represents 1.3 million workers, including 120,000 school system employees.
