Teamsters Get More Votes, Lose Election Anyway
Teamsters Local 14 received 2,711 votes to represent education support employees in the Clark County, Nevada, school district. The incumbent union, the NEA-affiliated Education Support Employees Association (ESEA), received 1,932 votes. “No union” received 93 votes.
Clear win for the Teamsters, right? Nope. Under Nevada law, the challenging union has to receive a majority of eligible voters, not just a majority of votes cast. So ESEA remains the exclusive bargaining unit.
To win the election, the Teamsters needed 5,259 votes. But only 4,736 total votes were cast.
“There is not a politician or a judge in Nevada who could win an election under similar circumstances,” said Gary Mauger, chief executive for Teamsters Local 14, in a prepared statement. “Why should we be held to a different standard than other unions or individuals seeking a fair and impartial election?”
The Teamsters are expected to challenge the law in court.
