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January 30, 2008

Supporters rally for Diocese teacher union

Mark Guydish

Hundreds of students, teachers and representatives from other unions stood outside Bishop Joseph Martino's chancery tonight urging a reversal of the decision to rejected unionization of local Catholic school teachers.

Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic School Teachers Michael Milz stood in the flatbed of a red pickup truck and spoke to the throng, many holding candles or signs with slogans including "Practice what you preach or we won't teach." Milz recounted the strong support the Catholic Church and the local diocese have shown for unionized labor in the past, holding up a picture of former Bishop Michal Hoban, President Theodore Roosevelt and United Mine Workers president John Mitchell together on the steps of Holy Savior Church in Wilkes-Barre during the miners struggle for better wages and working conditions.

"Bishop Hoban was not there for window dressing," Milz said. "It was an acknowledgment that the Church in Scranton had supported the cause of the miners. And the cause for which they were fighting was nothing less than human dignity." Milz noted that Mitchell was not born Catholic but converted after the Church backed the union cause, ultimately being buried in the nearby St. Peter's Cathedral cemetery. "I'm sure the lights on his grave are shining just a little brighter tonight because we are here."

UMW representative Ken Klinkel said about 20 from his union came to show support because "It's the right thing to do." Klinkel called the diocese's rejection of the union "unjust."  He noted there were representatives from unions for the teamsters, pipefitters, electricians, machinists and Scranton Fire Department.

Nancy Crane, from the Labor Council of Lackawanna County, noted that "The first union was Jesus Christ and the 12 disciples," and said she would like to ask the Bishop "What would Jesus do?" Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers vice-president Jim Lynch asked "How long will it take before the bishop sees the pain and suffering of his flock? How long until he lives the Gospel instead of reciting the Gospel. 

The Association had represented teachers in many local schools until the diocese restructured the system throughout its 11 counties. Martino eliminated numerous smaller school boards and governing agencies, effectively canceling any contracts the union had negotiated, and formed four regional boards. The union first asked the diocese for recognition as sole bargaining agent for teachers under the new system when it was announced in November 2006, but where told such recognition would have to come from the regional boards.

When the boards were formed in October 2007, the union sought recognition from three of them, including the one overseeing Luzerne County schools, but were told to wait until the boards organized and settled other pressing issues. In December the union asked those three boards for a firm answer by Jan. 10, the board overseeing Luzerne County promised an answer by Jan. 31. But the answer came through an article in the Jan. 24 edition of the Catholic Light, the diocesan newspaper.

That article said the three boards had each adopted a new "employee relations program" and rejected the union's request to represent teachers. The union has insisted this runs counter to Catholic church teachings dating back to 1891 when Pope Leo XIII issued an encyclical called "Rerum Novarum" that supported organized labor.

After his speech, Milz dubbed the rejection "Very troubling," and promised the union will not give up in its effort to reverse that decision. "They have to change their decision because they can't change the teachings of the Church," Milz said.

Among the many students in the large crowd, Joel, Tara and Paul Ignatovich stood on the curb before the rally began holding candles and smiling. Tara, a senior at Holy Redeemer High School In Wilkes-Barre, said their mother is a band instructor at the school, and the musical talent has been passed on. She plays the French horn while her brothers - twins in 10th grade, play trombone and trumpet.

"The Church's decision doesn't make sense," Tara said. "We should have the same rites as other teachers."

Behind her, an adult shouted out "United we bargain, divided we beg."

 

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