Judge halts AFT takeover of WTU election
Updated 9:17 pm
The American Federation of Teachers acted improperly by intervening in the Washington Teachers' Union's internal dispute over the timing of its officer elections, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. But U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly also left the door open for the AFT to try again.
The WTU was supposed to have its elections in the spring, but disagreements about the role and composition of an internal elections committee brought the process to a halt. WTU President George Parker and the union's executive committee want to postpone until November, when they say they'll have an accurate idea of who is a dues paying member in the 2010-11 school year.
The AFT, arguing that the delay compromised union democracy, declared an emergency "administratorship" on Aug. 4 to conduct the election in mid-September, with ballot counting to be completed by early October. After the WTU filed a motion to enjoin AFT's action, AFT responded with its own motion asserting its right to intervene.