Cyndi Loza

A five-year legal battle ended last month after the Nevada Supreme Court decided a local chapter of the Nevada Classified School Employees Association had the right to withdraw from the organization.

“As far as the organization, this was a huge victory for us because we’ve done what is in the best interest of our membership, and after three years of legal wrangling, it’s finally settled,” said Cindy Quaglia, former president of Washoe Education Support Professionals.

The Feb. 28 decision settled the battle that began after the local union, WESP, decided to break its affiliation with the NCSEA in 2004. The local chapter won its case in 2005 in Washoe District Court.

Quaglia said the chapter wanted to withdraw from NCSEA because they wanted better representation for its 923 school classified employee members, which includes bus drivers, teacher aides, secretaries and custodial workers.

“There’s so much that you need in a union,” said Quaglia, adding better representation was needed in contract negations and at the Nevada Legislature from the NCSEA. “It’s not just paying dues and getting benefits.”

Improper withdrawal?

Mike Langton, NCSEA’s lawyer, said the dispute began because the local chapter tried to withdraw from the association improperly. He said WESP needed two-thirds support from its 789 members, 526 votes, to support the withdrawal in 2004 and only had 448.

“It was not a prohibition for them to withdraw as long as they did it correctly,” Langton said. “They said they’d follow the rules, and (then) they turned around and didn’t.”

The Supreme Court decided the rule requiring two-thirds membership was invalid because it resulted from an NCSEA bylaw, which conflicted with part of its articles of incorporation.

Chris B. Reich, general counsel and acting labor relations manager for the school district, said the decision will not effect the district’s relationship with WESP and its members. He said the district has recognized the WESP as the sole bargaining agent since 2004.

“All things are moving as they always were,” Reich said.

The local union now is affiliated with the Nevada State Eduction Association.