Tech Workers At Princeton Public Schools File To Unionize

PRINCETON, NJ - Technology Workers at Princeton Public Schools unanimously submitted a petition on Monday to the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission to unionize with OPEIU Local 32.

This comes after the school Board of Education failed to grant workers voluntary recognition of their union., the group said.

The group, which calls itself the Princeton Public Schools Technology Association (PPSTA), had requested voluntary recognition on Oct. 23.

In their petition to management, the group said they have struggled to effectively provide services to Princeton students and staff for some time.

“We believe we can better address our job responsibilities once our concerns with staffing levels, budgetary constraints, and workplace conditions are reviewed and resolved,” according to the petition.

One of the main reasons for workers filing to unionize was district administration ignoring their calls to add more technology staff.

According to the group, since the pandemic, when the district was asked to go one-to-one with devices for students, the technology department has been requesting the administration to add more support to the staffing levels.

With only one technician for Princeton High School, serving around 1,550 students and close to 300 staff members; and Princeton Middle School with one technician for around 830 students and close to 175 staff members, the technology department is unable to meet the needs and expectations of the district administration.

“The community needs to know that PPS students and staff deserve better,” the group said.

The members of the PPSTA, which represent the entirety of the non-union-represented technology staff in the district, had hoped that voluntary recognition of their union would be in the best interest of the district and its students.

"Forming this union will promote transparency, ensure equity, increase staff well-being, and add to the long list of reasons why staff members are proud to work at Princeton Public Schools. Each of us feels a deep sense of gratitude for the work that those in senior leadership have done to build this institution and make it a place that inspires us, our students, our faculty, and our community,” PPSTA said.

'Strive to treat employees fairly,' Says BOE

In response to Patch's query, the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education said they received notice on Monday that the newly-formed Princeton Public Schools Technology Association (“PPSTA”) filed a Petition for Certification with the Public Employment Relations Commission (“PERC”), although they are yet to receive a copy of the petition itself.

"As the Board had previously advised the PPSTA several weeks ago, we believe that PERC—an independent third party with the experience and authority to determine the composition of negotiations units, conduct representation elections, and certify exclusive representatives—should make those determinations. That is particularly important when there are questions about the makeup of the union, since the Employer-Employee Relations Act generally prohibits supervisors and non-supervisors from being represented in the same collective negotiations unit," the BOE said in a statement.

"We value the collaborative working relationships we have with all three unions that already exist in the Princeton Public Schools and we look forward to PERC resolving and deciding this issue. We know that the employment of caring, dedicated, and skilled employees is critical to the Board’s mission of preparing all students to lead lives of joy and purpose as knowledgeable, creative, and compassionate citizens of a global society. We value all our employees, whether they are in a union or not, and we always strive to treat our employees fairly."

Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com