Out of Columbus this week, the KIPP Columbus charter school has seen its faculty unionize as KIPP Columbus ACTS, affiliated with the AFT, after months of delay. Approximately 130 workers across the four schools on KIPP Columbus's campus voted to unionize by 67% to 33%; they've also prevailed in two unfair labor practice disputes against the charter.
This unionization attempt was marred by an astonishingly comprehensive attempt to union bust. KIPP Columbus originally attempted to challenge the right of their workers to unionize at all, arguing the NLRB had no jurisdiction over charter schools. This held up the process for almost six months despite obviously having no grounding in law. KIPP Columbus then engaged in, according to the AFT, "an intense union busting campaign that included mandatory attendance in anti-union meetings, high-priced union busting consultants, and a long series of misleading emails that were sent to all staff." At one point they sent 16 union-busting emails in just 14 work days—something that makes them losing the union vote so badly significantly funnier.