AFSA Adds Five School Administrator Groups; Membership Rises 5%.

WASHINGTON -- The American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA), AFL-CIO -- the only union representing public school principals, asst. principals, administrators, and supervisors -- announced today it has added five administrator associations to its membership rolls. The total number of new members represents a 5% increase in AFSA's membership during the previous 12 months.(1)

The five administrator groups joining AFSA are:

--The Educadores Puertorriquenos en Accion, Inc. (EPA), Puerto Rico, AFSA Local 105;

--The Texas School Administrators Network (TxSan), AFSA Local 33;

--The Oak Park, Mich. Department Chairs Association, AFSA Local 104;

--Queen Anne's County, Md. Administrators and Supervisors Association, AFSA Local 102; and

--The Thompson, Conn. Association of School Administrators, AFSA Local 106.

"School administrators are under siege from many different areas," said Baxter M. Atkinson, National President of AFSA. "For starters, they have to work within the confines of the federal No Child Left Behind law -- an unfunded mandate with so many faults that 47 states have taken some sort of action against its various provisions. Administrators also have to deal with budget crises, increased workloads, vouchers, privatization, lack of support, and job burnout. They need the support of a strong union like AFSA in order for their voice to be heard. We are proud to welcome the administrators of TxSan, EPA, Thompson, Queen Anne's County, and Oak Park to AFSA's growing family."

"We have found that AFSA membership has risen significantly since the Bush Administration came to the White House," President Atkinson added. "The policies and practices that this administration has put in place have created a hostile environment for public employees and public schools alike. AFSA provides administrators with the tools and services they need to be successful in delivering the highest quality public education possible for children of all backgrounds. With AFSA, their voice is heard."

Professionals: Fastest-Growing Union Population

White collar professionals, not traditionally thought of as typical rank-and-file union members are now one of the fastest growing populations joining unions today. According to Paul Almeida, President of the AFL-CIO's Department of Professional Employees, white collar employees make up over 51% of all union members. As overall union membership declined by 1.5 million during 1985 and 2005, it grew by almost the same amount among white collar professionals.(2)

Nurses, doctors, university researchers and professors, customer service representatives, psychologists, scientists, engineers, actors and musicians, and other highly trained and skilled white collar workers have found a voice for themselves and their professions through unions and collective bargaining. Many of these employees feel that their work is being devalued, as their benefits and pensions deteriorate. White collars professionals are finding that their job security -- never before in jeopardy - is now threatened by outsourcing, global trade effects, the supplanting of U.S. jobs overseas, and subcontracting. Self-employed white collar professionals such as physicians look to unionization as a way to tap into the political arena to influence legislation affecting their profession. They pay union dues to get clout.(3)

While AFSA accepts individual memberships, the most popular way for school administrators to join is to affiliate their association with AFSA. In some instances, AFSA assists administrators in forming an association. AFSA also represents retired administrators who enjoy the health and welfare benefits and services that come with AFSA membership. The services that AFSA provides are not found in any other single organization. AFSA is one-stop shopping for administrators: it provides a national voice; training and support in collective bargaining, contract negotiations and enforcement; legal counsel; grievance handling; professional development; and a package of health and welfare benefits and money-saving services. For more information, visit www.admin.org.

(1) AFSA Organizing Department, 11/11/05.

(2) The Department of Professional Employees, AFL-CIO,
    www.dpeaflcio.org, 9/1/05.

(3) "The New Union Worker; Engineers, Judges and Doctors Band Together
    to Gain Clout," The Wall Street Journal, 9/27/05.