Focus on TUSD - October 2007

Labor Intensive: Hatfield Brings Union Experience to CWA Presidency
Linda Hatfield's father was a member of the Signalmen Union of the Southern Pacific Railroad. She attended Tucson Unified School District schools.

Now she's merged those two qualities from her background into her new job as the first female president of Communications Workers of America Local 7000, which represents TUSD supervisory professional employees.

Hatfield guided TUSD union members to the first settlement of TUSD labor unions with TUSD this fall. Each employee received a 53-cent raise. She also helped organize city employees in Nogales and Tucson and is working with a team to organize the staff at the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind.

It's a challenge to boost the membership, especially when, in the past, she said, she always had 98 percent membership in private enterprise and unions and, "You're lucky if you have 50 percent in public entities."

But despite the hurdles standing in her path, this is the kind of work Hatfield has always relished, keeping workers' benefits and needs foremost.

"CWA is a bottom-up organization," Hatfield said. "As president, I work for my members. I can't do anything without getting membership's approval."

She wants to expand CWA membership in TUSD, saying that many employees have never been asked to join. She has requested time at new employee orientations to meet people and provide information. The dues are two hours of pay per month, or one hour per payday.

"Come join us and have a voice in your workplace," Hatfield urged. "We want to partner with the District and make it a better place to work."

Hatfield maneuvers through the minutia of union duties -- the by-laws, policies and budgets -- with ease after a lifetime of union work. In February, her job responsibilities expanded, when she was elected the Pima Area Labor Federation Chairperson, representing Southern Arizona labor in the AFL-CIO. She was also re-elected as an AFL-CIO executive committee member, one of 18 members addressing labor issues in the state.

Beyond the unions, which have traditionally been a mainstay of the Democratic Party, it was a natural fit for Hatfield to become the Labor Liaison to the Pima County Democratic Party. She plans to actively support Democratic candidates, both locally and nationally in next year's elections.

Linda Hatfield Bio

-- By Sharon Dunham
Communications & Media Relations