After months of grass roots organizing, Northcoast Children's Services (NCS) early care and education workers won a federally mediated election earlier in January choosing to be represented by the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) in contract negotiations.

CFT president Marty Hittelman welcomed the NCS workers to the union saying: "Having a union will allow these workers to have the kind of professional support and protection that they need to be effective with the children."

As a result of the National Labor Relations Board election victory, the CFT will now represent more than 240 NCS workers at roughly 30 sites, serving more than 1,000 children in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. "The CFT hopes that this victory is just one of many victories that we achieve in seeking to represent this largely unrepresented segment of education."

Once again emphasizing that quality care and education for the more than 1,000 children served is paramount to both the CFT and the newly affiliated workers, Hittelman said: "This was a great organizing victory for CFT but even more so for the NCS early care and education staff and the families and children they serve."

The CFT represents 120,000 education professionals working at every level of the education system, from ECE to the University; while the AFT has more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide, 43 state affiliates, and more than 1.4 million members.