ND teachers union, state employees to join forces

North Dakota's teachers union has voted to merge with the state's public employees union.

North Dakota Education Association President Dakota Draper tells the Forum newspaper (http://bit.ly/X6XnJP) that 105 of the 140 delegates on hand Saturday voted to combine with the North Dakota Public Employees Association.

The vote required a two-thirds majority to pass.

The move creates a new entity of about 10,000 members. Draper says it will become official on Sept. 1.

Draper says the two unions already work with each other on a regular basis and it will allow the relationship to become more centralized. He calls the change a "big win for both organizations."