San Diego City Lifeguard Sgt. Ed Harris and fellow lifeguards began petitioning last April to leave the group’s union and join 911 Teamsters of San Diego. Despite the mayor’s rejection of the lifeguards’ election plan, San Diego City Council members voted 5-3 Tuesday, May 12 to approve the choice. “The council has voted to allow the lifeguards to choose who their representatives should be,” Harris said. “In 60 to 90 days, there will be a vote we hope will be run by the state.” According to Harris, more than 70 percent of lifeguards signed the petition, which asked the mayor’s office to hold an election for the group to secede from the Municipal Employees Association (MEA) and join the 911 Teamsters. Lifeguards would form a branch of the 911 Teamsters in San Diego. “We want to be part of the nationally recognized Teamsters 911,” Harris said. “We’re following the city’s process… but it’s not up to the city to put us into a union. “The lifeguards signed a petition to choose. We’re asking for the state to come in and run an election — not the MEA or 911 [Teamsters] but a ballot that lifeguards would vote on.” Lifeguards will choose the MEA, the Teamsters or no representation, Harris said. In the face of the city’s budget crisis, Harris said about 100 full-time lifeguards have not been adequately represented by the MEA, which represents about 4,500 white-collar workers. Meanwhile, Harris filed suit last week against former MEA president and current general manager Judie Italiano for allegations stemming from a September 2006 investigation into the organization by former City Attorney Mike Aguirre. Harris — whose attorney Amy Lupine worked in Aguirre’s office — alleged that Italiano unlawfully used the union’s credit cards for personal use. “We’re trying to fix a problem, and the lawsuit has been contemplated for the last couple of years,” Harris said. Despite Harris’ timing of the lawsuit, he says it is not related to lifeguards leaving the MEA. “The issues are not related. They are not connected,” Harris said. “People need to realize that the attorney general had this for over two years. We learned in April that the statute was going to run out in May.” Harris said he’s “suing in a class action lawsuit on behalf of all MEA members for her failure to do her fiduciary duty.” As of press time, MEA representatives did not return calls.