There’s a grownup way to deal with education unions. FCPS isn’t choosing it. | Opinion
If you want to see how irredeemably messed up relations are between the Fayette County school board members, you need look no further than the first five minutes of Monday night’s meeting.
In that sliver of time, there were two accusations of lying, one accusation of secret editing in the metadata of a document, no less, and generally unsaid conflicts of interest.
Basically, board member Monica Mundy wanted to add an agenda item to consider and vote on collective bargaining for employees.
This is an ongoing debate about a very serious and important issue to school employees that deserves a lot more open discussion by the board, by employees and by the community.
Right now, the only districts with collective bargaining are Jefferson and Boone counties, as well as the bus drivers in Floyd County. Generally, a CBA (collective bargaining agreement) would outline terms of employment, such as wages, benefits and working conditions for teachers and staff in a legally binding contract.
There’s a work group of employees due to start this month to discuss it. But what went unsaid is the work group was convened by the Fayette County Education Association, the local chapter of the Kentucky Education Association. That’s the state’s largest teacher union and an offshoot of the National Education Association.
In August, Superintendent Demetrus Liggins agreed to study a possible agreement with the FCEA.
The only problem is that there’s another union in town, KY 120, the American Federation of Teachers affiliate that formed after the gargantuan protests against the Bevin administration for trying to end teacher pensions.
FCEA has not allowed KY 120 members to be part of the work group, and the board rejected a resolution KY 120 members sent last year. This document is what member Amy Green accused member Amanda Ferguson of editing because her name appeared in the meta data.
As Ferguson explained Monday night, that’s because she passed it on to board members.
But to accuse Ferguson of some kind of underhanded editing is rich when left very much unsaid that night is that board chair Tyler Murphy is not just a member of KEA, he’s on the executive board, where he is also listed as a liaison to the NEA.
Soon after he was elected, an education lawyer opined that he could serve on the board as a KEA/NEA member without it being a conflict.
The board and the district giving favorable treatment to one union the chairman belongs to over another that he doesn’t, well, that’s not just a conflict of interest, it’s a problem.
Of course, Murphy, Amy Green and Penny Christian voted Mundy’s motion down.
It’s unclear why the two unions can’t work together to get the best for all employees. FCEA Erika Pennington did not return calls for comment.
Nema Brewer is a co-founder of KY 120 and a former FCPS employee.
“I would like to have thought that we could come together and create a pathway for all members of labor unions and do what they do in other counties to work together so everyone shares in the wealth of a community bargaining unit,” Brewer said on Tuesday.
“We’ve reached out to leadership of FCEA and KEA, and they don’t have any interest in working with us.”
Nationally and locally, there are temperamental differences between the two groups. KEA is larger and more attuned to the establishment. KY 120 is smaller, younger, and more brash. As Brewer said, “We are activists, not just advocates.”
That can sometimes scare the establishment. Something that could be included in a CBA is a requirement for union members to have access to financial statements, something the board appears loathe to do with members of the public.
Thanks to the board and district’s inept handling of said finances, the last thing they need is internecine warfare between two unions. Once again, Monday night’s discussion did not inspire confidence they can handle it well.
If I were the superintendent and the board chair, I’d tell the two unions that a CBA won’t be considered until both groups come together in the kind of work group they’re already considering. Then the very serious decisions about what it might look like and whether it’s the best thing for Fayette County schools and kids can begin.
Instead, we got snipping and sniping and no resolution. But then again, it’s a day that ends in a Y. Why should it be any different?
This story was originally published October 29, 2025 at 7:57 AM.
