ASHA Town Hall Series - Working with Unions

By: Jennifer Cook, MS, CCC-SLP, TSHA SEAL

Communication professionals across the state of Texas are all too aware of the issues faced by those of us working in the field of education. Caseload size, growing workloads, and salary issues are all part of the everyday landscape. Given these challenges, it is imperative to use every tool at our disposal in advocating for our professions and our students.

On Wednesday, January 24, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) held a Town Hall Series highlighting how unions can support speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists in their advocacy efforts with critical issues in education. This might be an unusual avenue for Texans because we know that Texas is a “Right To Work” state where collective bargaining is expressly prohibited; however, there were still some great takeaways from the panelists regarding the pairing of educational advocacy and local and national unions.

While unions may not have the collective bargaining power here in Texas that they do in other states, it is important to know that most school districts in Texas are represented by a teachers' union such as the Texas State Teachers Association or the Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT ). Many of the same issues that affect teachers impact SLPs and audiologists working in education, so the relationship can be an effective one for school-based SLPs and audiologists, amplifying our voices when critical issues overlap. The local unions generally have long-standing connections with city leaders, school boards and the media to foster dialogue, raise awareness, and mobilize support for critical issues affecting education and our professions.

The panelists had some great suggestions for communication professionals in  “Right to Work” states. One panelist noted that not only did she join the union, but she also moved onto the executive board so she had a seat at the table when salary schedules were being discussed. Another noted that because of her membership with the teachers' union, she was aware of the critical legislative issues and was able to take a very personal role in electing grassroots advocates. Some noted that they learned from union bargaining tactics and walked away with some great strategies to use personally at their school districts. 

• Use a win/win mentality. Cnsider what the school district/school can gain or see how you can align your requests to the school’s benefit such as drawing attention to Medicaid billing or use of Response to Intervention (RtI) to boost reading skills
• Make requests with the students’ best interests first. For example, say, “I’m concerned about the learning environment for my students,” versus "I don't like this office," or “I am worried that I don’t have enough time to adequately support my students," versus “My caseload is too high.” 
• Pair with other allied health members such as OT, PT, or school psychologists. 
• Be present. Foster relationships with key players in your district.
• Be persistent. Just because a request fails once doesn’t mean it will always fail.

By nurturing this alliance, communication professionals can navigate evolving landscapes with resilience, solidarity, and a shared vision of advancing the well-being of students with communication disorders and the professionals who work with them across the state of Texas.

Want more information? 
As an ASHA member, you have the opportunity to access the ASHA Virtual Town Halls Topics in School-Based Practice from the past and to tune in to these upcoming events:

• August 28, 2024 – “Workload Management Strategies: Implementing Service Delivery Models in Schools”
• October 16, 2024 – “School Safety: A Town Hall for Educational Audiologists and SLPs”
• December 11, 2024 – “Ensuring Equity: Unpacking Disproportionality in Speech-Language Services”