In a positive sign for other charter-school organizing drives around the country, a National Labor Relations Board hearing officer ruled on July 31 that Teach for America teachers at a Detroit charter school chain are eligible to join the same bargaining unit as other teachers at the chain.

The hearing officer rejected the argument by the University Prep charter network that its TFA teachers were ineligible for union membership because their minimum two-year commitment made them “temporary service workers,” akin to long-term substitutes, rather than “professional employees.”

The ruling declared that TFA teachers are professional employees who share the same responsibilities, evaluations and contracts as other teachers in their districts and thus can join the Michigan Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.

“We are really pleased to be recognized as professional teachers,” said Patrick Sheehan, a TFA member and 2nd-grade adviser at the school. “U-Prep hired us to teach just like other teachers.”

While the decision does not set a formal legal precedent, it has drawn attention and could influence future rulings in other cities on the eligibility of TFA members to join unions.

Labor Notes, Aug. 7
Michigan Live, Aug. 4