Breaking News

January 24, 2008

Diocese rejects teachers union

Mark Guydish

Insisting it will "provide fair and just employment for teachers," the Diocese of Scranton announced implementation of a uniform employee relations program that rejects requests from the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers to be recognized as the union representing teachers locally.

The diocese details the new plan and rationale in today's edition of The Catholic Light, the diocesan newspaper. The full article is available here. The full Catholic Light can be downloaded at www.dioceseofscranton.org

The union has sought recognition since the November, 2006, unveiling of a diocesan wide school restructuring that wiped out all former school boards and organizations that had negotiated contracts with the union. That move effectively canceled all contracts. The union  first asked the diocese for recognition as representative for teachers in collective bargaining, but was told such recognition had to come from the four regional school boards to be formed under the new system.

Shortly after the membership of those boards was announced in October, and the union sought recognition from three of them, but was notified by similar letters from each that they had not yet met and it would take time to consider the request. When the union sent a letters dated Dec. 10 to the board demanding a response by Jan. 10, the board governing Luzerne County school replied with a promise to give a firm answer by Jan. 30.

 

Tweet	Follow @TLnews