Teachers told to reject councils

SCRANTON – The Diocese of Scranton has promised that members of the new “employee councils” for three of the four regional school systems will be chosen this week through secret ballot votes by employees.

But the union that had hoped to represent those teachers is urging them not to serve if asked or elected, and advising that if they vote they should put “SDACT” on any ballot.

That’s the acronym for the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers, which represented many local teachers in Catholic schools until the system was restructured last year, abolishing smaller boards in favor of four regional ones. Those regional boards rejected union requests to represent teachers, opting for a new “employee relations program” that includes election of employee councils with representatives from each school. The councils will include committees on wage and benefits, grievances, and health care.

An announcement posted on the diocese Web site noted representatives for each school will “be chosen by their peers through a secret ballot process … by Feb. 7” for three of the four regions, including the one encompassing Luzerne County. Those representatives will attend an orientation on Feb. 8.

But the union, which has been seeking recognition for more than a year, posted its own advice to teachers on its Web site, dubbing the councils and committees a “company union” and contending that “those who agree to serve in it are the toadies of the Bishop of Scranton.”

The union urged those asked to serve on a council or committee to “politely decline,” and suggested those who vote “place ‘SDACT’ on your ballot and turn that in.” The union compared the diocese program to a 1920s anti-union effort known as The American Plan which portrayed union leaders as anti-American outsiders.

The union claimed the new diocese program is “In the best tradition of the robber barons of the 1920s and 30s,” and said “it is a company union dressed up in the rhetoric of cooperation and faith community while playing on the fears of parents and the Catholic community at large.”

The diocese has repeatedly insisted the new program will serve employees fairly and uniformly since it will be applied to all employees and not just teachers. Those claims were repeated in the latest announcement, noting that employees will be able to provide input through the employee councils and promising the system will “ensure a strong Catholic identity … with an atmosphere of meaningful dialogue and sincere collaboration.”

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