by Krystal Paco

Guam - The Guam Federation of Teachers may soon lose the power to represent the island's teachers. According to Guam Education Board member Barry Mead, the GFT has failed to respond to any of the board's requests to return to the negotiating table to resolve the expired contract for teachers. The GFT may also lose its powers to represent more than 200 support staff because the GFT lacks an exclusive letter of recognition.

"What I am asking here again is that the superintendent and the legal counsel begin the action. Here's the difference: to begin action to have the union, the GFT, decertified as the exclusive bargaining agent for the support staff, they have not responded to any requests to come back to the table to negotiate that contract," said Mead.

Interim superintendent Taling Taitano will now report the motions to decertify the union to the Department of Administration, which will then be forwarded to the governor for approval.