Indiana Professional Staff Organization - PSO

05/28/2026

05/20/2026

👏🏻👏🏽 Thank you to the United Staff Union - Wisconsin for standing in solidarity with your union family & speaking out forcefully on behalf of our colleagues at the Indiana Professional Staff Organization - PSO.

An injury to ONE is an injury to ALL!

05/09/2026

The Indiana State Teachers Association terminated the president and vice president of the union representing ISTA professional staff, a sign of escalating tensions between the union and ISTA management amidst a reorganization and unfair labor complaints.

05/07/2026

Thank you, MEA-PSA!

An injury to one is an injury to all — and perhaps most egregious when committed by a union employer. We condemn the hypocrisy now on display by the Indiana State Teachers Association, which threatens to hollow out the very foundation on which the ISTA stands.

We join union members nationwide exhorting leaders and management of ISTA to live union values and fully restore the Indiana Professional Staff Organization (PSO) president and vice president who have been wrongly and illegally fired for union-related activities.

This statement, approved by the MEA-PSA Executive Committee, affirms our position as proud members of the National Staff Organization who stand in solidarity forever with our brothers and sisters in the Indiana Professional Staff Organization - PSO!

04/27/2026

Update: On Friday 4/24, PSO President Rick Scalf and VP Anita Vernon received word via email that ISTA Executive Director Nate Williams held to his decision to terminate their employment. It was not the outcome we had hoped for but was one we anticipated.

The last two months have been difficult to say the least. We cannot put into words how much we have appreciated the support of ISTA members, PSO retirees, family & friends and our large NSO family.

Never did we ever think we would be in this position. Never did we ever think we would be the recipients of nationwide solidarity. Never did we ever think our NSO brothers and sisters would drive hours to stand with us in the rain in solidarity. Never. Ever.

We aren't done. Now we fight. We will be taking our case to arbitration and have every reason to believe we will be reinstated. We will keep you posted as we progress down that path and hope you will continue to support us as we see this through til the end.

In Solidarity -
Anita Vernon
VP - PSO

National Staff Organization Virginia Professional Staff Association Utah Staff Organization North Dakota Staff Organization California Staff Organization PSEA-Staff Organization KEA*O Ohio Nurses Employee Association - ONEA Kansas Staff Organization Indiana A*O Kansas Staff Organization OPSO - Oklahoma Professional Staff Organization Illinois Education Association Staff Organization PSO-Oregon Louisiana State Staff Organization - LASSO Professional Staff Association of Maryland Washington Education Association Staff Organization (WEA*O) Florida Staff Organization Association of Field Service Employees - AFSE Coalition of Retired Employees of Ohio Education Association California Associate Staff Delaware Staff Organization Illinois Education Association Staff Organization Colorado EA - Staff Org New Hampshire Education Staff Org National Staff Organization - Staff Organization Maine EA - Staff Organization United Staff Association of New Jersey Iowa Staff union - NSO

04/22/2026

This is what solidarity looks like. Thank you!

👏🏻👏🏽 CEA Staff Union - CEA*O, thank you for standing strong with your union family & speaking out on behalf of the Indiana Professional Staff Organization. An injury to one is an injury to all!

04/22/2026

UNLESS someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing's going to get better.
It's not.

04/20/2026

Thank you CORE!!!!

04/20/2026

Today, PSO President Rick Scalf and Vice President Anita Vernon attended their disciplinary hearing, represented by NSO Vice President of Defense Justin Zartman and PSO member Barb Deardorff. Throughout this process, they have been clear that there is no basis for the allegations which ISTA management has made against them.

In today's hearing, these facts were laid out:

1. The policy of non-interference in governance matters has never been so expansive as to include the routine answering of process questions. Indeed, we can demonstrate multiple occasions in which staff have been either directed or approved to do exactly that.
2. Management failed to conduct a fair and impartial investigation into the matter. In fact, when, in the course of their investigation, they were offered evidence which would contradict their chosen narrative, management and the ISTA President refused to review it.
3. Instead, management chose to manufacture a narrative of conspiracy by rewriting historical events, misrepresenting their own mandated reporting practices, egregiously misinterpreting the content of email correspondence between union members, and altering the testimony of witnesses interviewed in the course of their investigation.
4. Finally, in their own documentation, management makes clear that the impetus for this action is their displeasure over the efforts of PSO to lobby our employer in regards to our working conditions - an issue which is currently before the NLRB.

In short - there is no just cause for the proposed discipline, and it is clearly retaliatory.

No offers of settlement were made at today's hearing. At its conclusion, management stated that their decision will be received within the required five working day window as spelled out in the PSO contract.

To all active, retired, and national union members, family and friends who have stood with PSO and specifically with Rick and Anita this weekend, at today’s hearing and since this first began, thank you does not seem enough, but thank you!

Just cause protections are only as strong as our willingness to protect them. Your presence has sent a clear message that we will fight to do exactly that.

04/20/2026

Today, the California Associate Staff’s Representative Council issued a statement in solidarity with Indiana Professional Staff Organization - PSO.

Retaliation has no place in our work!