Staff at California College of the Arts staff voted Monday to elect Service Employees International Union’s representation in collective bargaining, joining the art school’s adjunct faculty as members of Local 1021.
“YES to end chronic understaffing and high staff turnover,” read an Instagram post from @sfoakunite, an account run by the staff’s organizing committee. “YES to supporting students!”
After months organizing, staff voted 80 in favor and 15 against the union, with 28 contested ballots cast by employees whose eligibility for representation the administration challenged. (Contested ballots are only counted to break ties.) According to the organizing committee, 164 staffers are eligible for representation.
“CCA will be better when the faces that represent it are valued and embraced,” said Brian Woods, a six-year employee and member of the organizing committee. “All of the long-term workers are why I work at CCA, and they deserve security in their jobs and a fair shake in the midst of these massive changes.”
As KQED reported Thursday, California College of the Arts’ plan to consolidate campuses in San Francisco largely motivated the union effort, with staff worried about its effect on job security. Organizers believe unionizing will provide leverage with school administration as the workplace transforms.
