Pennsylvanians run model ESP campaign

NEA Today, Feb 2002

Two years ago, the Pennsylvania State Education Association became concerned that the number of unorganized education support professionals in the state had grown extremely high.

PSEA applied for and received a grant from NEA to conduct a statewide census of locals and members to determine how many ESPs were working without representation.

Called "Census 2000: Every Member Counts," the project found that in areas where PSEA had teacher locals there were nearly 5,000 unorganized ESPs.

PSEA launched an internal organizing campaign that raised its membership from 22,000 to 27,000.

Nowhere were the results more dramatic than in East Stroudsburg. ESPs concerned about wages and other job issues embraced the organizing campaign and raised local membership by more than 50 percent, to 366 members.

PSEA is already providing requested programs such as safety training-as well as strong bargaining support-in the districts where its campaign has been focused.

In the next phase of its campaign, PSEA will begin external organizing of ESPs.

"This campaign is succeeding because our approach from the beginning was to learn, not tell," says Fran Pierce, director of ESP programs for PSEA. "ESP members talked to other ESP members and listened to their concerns. That was how the unorganized learned that their issues were being resolved in other NEA units around the state.

"Our success can be easily replicated in any state," Pierce emphasizes. "All you have to do is listen. You need to listen to individual ESPs' concerns before you can respond."