NEW YORK, May 2, 2012 – The Newspaper Guild of New York announced today that it filed a petition with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for an election to enable about 80 English teachers at Kaplan Inc. to decide whether they want the Guild to represent them.

An overwhelming majority of the instructors, who teach English as a second language (ESL) at Kaplan International Centers in New York City, have already signed cards indicating that they want the Guild to represent them at work, far exceeding the 30 percent threshold the NLRB requires for an election.  

“Kaplan teachers want what most employees want: a voice in the workplace and better working conditions,” said Bill O’Meara, president of the Newspaper Guild of New York. “What’s remarkable about these employees is that they’re actually doing something about it.”

Kaplan Inc., with $2.5 billion in revenues last year, was founded in 1938 by Stanley Kaplan and provides higher education programs, professional training courses, test preparation materials and language instruction around the world. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Washington Post Co. [NYSE: WPO] and is headquartered in New York City.

“We had a good working relationship with the Washington Post Co. when it owned Newsweek magazine, and there’s no reason that can’t be the case with Kaplan too,” said O’Meara. 

The NLRB could set a date for the union election as early as next week.