Bill would foster fairness in church/staff labor negotiations

The following letter to the editor of the Wilkes=Barre Times Leader appeared June 23, 2008:

Bill would foster fairness in church/staff labor negotiations

The recent public statement issued by the Diocese of Scranton arguing that “private, independent religious schools can operate according to the tenets of a particular faith or philosophical point of view” is very true and would be valid if the diocese schools were staffed only with nuns, priests and other quasi-clergy. But that’s not the case. The diocese has engaged the services of citizens to fulfill these responsibilities in their schools, and thus should be subject to the same codes that guide labor relations in our public school system.

Where our citizens are involved our government definitely does have a place and a presence.

I support state House Bill 2626 because it will ensure fairness in labor negotiations between our citizens and the church -- any church.

Michael M. Stair Mountain Top