Vatican group denies union appeal bid

The Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome has denied a request from the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers to overturn Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino’s decision on unionization.

Martino rejected the association’s attempts to unionize in January and instead developed an Employee Relations Program allowing teachers and schools support staff to have input on salaries and benefits.

Association President Mike Milz said union officials never really expected Vatican officials would overturn Martino’s decision to, in his words, “break” the teachers union.

“We are putting more hope in changing civil law,” Milz said, referring to House Bill 2626 that state legislators are considering. The bill would amend the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act to cover Catholic school teachers.

Milz is confident that state lawmakers will pass the bill next year. If the bill is approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the association could legally represent the Catholic school teachers in the Scranton Diocese and require Martino to negotiate salaries and benefits.

The association is considering appealing the Vatican’s ruling to the Apostolic Signatura or Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, both in Rome, Milz said.

According to an article in the recent issue of The Catholic Light, the diocese’s newspaper, the diocese said the Vatican’s support of Martino’s decision was appropriate and signals that the Employee Relations Program established by Martino is an acceptable way of handling school employee issues.

“This decision affirms the Bishop’s position that dignity and justice for his employees can be achieved in other ways than membership in a union,” the article states.