A group representing about 1,400 white-collar paraprofessionals and school-related personnel in the Anchorage public school district voted in December to affiliate with the AFT/Alaska Public Employees Association (APEA).

Members of the formerly independent union, known as the TOTEM Association of Educational Support Personnel, voted overwhelmingly for AFT affiliation. The vote to change the group’s constitution and bylaws required at least a two-thirds approval, and more than 70 percent voted yes.

The actual affiliation campaign was a whirlwind effort that took less than three weeks.

TOTEM—an independent union for 25 years—and APEA have long enjoyed a good working relationship, says local president Val Woods. When TOTEM went on strike several years ago, APEA members in the Anchorage school district, who have a “no strike” clause in their contract, supported the strike by making sure their members didn’t do any TOTEM member work. TOTEM members also have attended AFT meetings and conferences.

As the largest local in the Anchorage school district, TOTEM was seen by many other unions in the state as a ripe target for raiding. Woods says that even though her members liked being independent and the union was vibrant, they realized they needed a stronger voice in tough times. “The members wanted to remain independent, but they realized the writing was on the wall,” she says.

“The AFT is more aligned with what we believe and where we want to go” than other unions that sought to affiliate TOTEM, Woods says. “The AFT has a much more positive approach to things, and that is important. We’re excited to have the AFT behind us.” With the victory, the AFT now has nearly 7,000 members in Alaska.