Public Case No. R 1979-013
(Cross Reference R 1979-026)Service Employees International Union, Local 50, AFL-CIO v.
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Missouri Council 72 and City of Springfield, Missouri
SEIU filed a petition for all Communication Clerks employed by the Springfield Police Department. Missouri State Council 72, AFSCME and the City argued that the Communication Clerks should be included in a larger unit of professional, administrative, and technical city employees.
The City first contended that the petition should be dismissed on technical grounds. The City pointed out that the Communication Clerks already belong to a bargaining unit, informally recognized by the City since 1972. Therefore, the City argued that the petition should have been for decertification, rather than certification. The Board agreed that this is technically correct, but declined to dismiss the petition. Instead, they merely read it as a petition for decertification.
The Board declined to sever the Communication Clerks from their present bargaining unit. They noted that just because employees are geographically isolated and possess special skills does not, necessarily, preclude their representation in a larger unit. Although there is a community of interest among the Communication Clerks, their interests are not sufficiently separate and distinct from the interest of the citywide employees, so as to justify severance.
Date Issued:November 29, 1979