By Donald Gilpin

Citing concerns over staffing levels, budgetary constraints, and lack of support from administration, Princeton Public Schools’ (PPS) technology workers on Monday, December 11, unanimously submitted a petition to the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) to unionize with OPEIU Local 32.

The PPS group of 10 employees, known as the Princeton Public Schools Technology Association (PPSTA), had requested voluntary recognition on October 23, 2023, but in November the PPS Board of Education (BOE) refused to grant voluntary recognition of their union.

“One of the major reasons for this filing has been the repeated calls for adding more technology staff that have gone unanswered by district administration,” a December 11 OPEIU press release stated. “Since the pandemic, when the district was asked to go one-to-one with devices for students, the technology department has been imploring 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.”

In a  response to the PPSTA’s action later the same day, the BOE issued a statement noting the experience and authority of PERC and apparently endorsing the collaboration between the PPSTA and PERC.

“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,” the BOE statement read. “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 statement continued, “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 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.”

Three unions — the Princeton Regional Education Association (PREA) for teachers, the Princeton Regional Educational Support Staff Association (PRESSA), and the Princeton Administrators’ Association (PAA) — currently serve in the district.

The PPSTA, the entire non-union-represented technology staff in the district, had sought voluntary recognition of their union as being in the best interests of the PPS, according to the press release.

In their petition the PPSTA started, “For some time, we have struggled to effectively service the Princeton students and staff. We believe we can better address our job responsibilities once our concerns with staffing levels, budgetary constraints, and workplace conditions are reviewed and resolved.”

It continued, “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.”

OPEIU Organizer Max Bienstock emphasized in an email, “This is an issue that affects the entire Princeton and New Jersey community because of these technology workers’ roles in supporting the education of children of all ages throughout the district. This could not be more important with the acceleration of technology-assisted education in recent years.”