The lies keep on coming

Today's Catholic Light, the Scranton Diocesan newspaper, is hot off the presses and, as usual, is full of its regular complement of lies and nonsense. First, you can almost hear Diocesan officials chortle over the fact that the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board rejected jurisdiction over the unfair labor practice complaint filed by SDACT President Mike Milz who was fired for his union activity, and that such a rejection somehow validates the Diocesan position.

The truth of course is that such a rejection was fully expected when Milz filed the claim. He said so repeatedly to the press when the story of the filing first broke.

The real significance of the rejection of Milz's claim by the PLRB underscores the issue of exactly what is at stake for the employees of religiously-affiliated schools. That is that there is no place where such employees who are deprived of their labor rights - rights continually supported by the mainstream Catholic Church - can now go for redress. Such injustice cries out for relief - legislative relief, by amending the PLRA to include the employees of Chruch-run schools.

It's been almost two weeks that the Diocese has refrained from lying about the nature of Milz's termination. One would have thought such lies ceased because a Diocesan administrator had come forward and admitted to the press and numerous other individuals that Milz was indeed targeted for dismissal for union activity. Moreover, he avowed that several other administrators, including the Superintendent of Schools, conspired to cover up that decision. Yet in today's Catholic Light the same lie is retold - Milz's termination "had nothing to do with his union activity."

We hope that those involved in that conspiracy, and who continue to support the Diocese's lies, have talked to their own personal attorneys who, we hope, have apprised them of the penalties for perjury. For at some point in the near future they will be forced to give testimony under oath in court.

In another story in today's Catholic Light, the Diocese touts that a new "contract" is almost ready for Diocesan teachers, and that such a document resulted from input from employee representatives who attended the meetings of the immoral company union established by Diocesan officials.

In reality, this two-page document should never in any way be confused with a real contract. It is nothing more than the standard document presented to all at-will employees. Such a document merely confirms that status with the undersiged employee agreeing to work under whatever conditions the employer dictates and will continue to hold that job only so long as the employer desires.

State moves on Catholic teacher labor law measure

The following article appeared in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, July 31, 2008:

State moves on Catholic teacher labor law measure

Hearing set for bill that would give Catholic school teachers chance to hold secret vote to unionize.

HARRISBURG – The push to give Catholic teachers greater protection under state labor law took another step forward, with the House of Representatives Labor Relations Committee scheduling an Aug. 18 hearing on House Bill 2626.

The bill would amend the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act to explicitly cover Catholic school teachers. The state Supreme Court has ruled that they are not covered by the law now.

The bill, introduced in June by Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, with 55 co-sponsors, was in response to efforts by the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers.

The association had represented teachers in several local schools until the diocese restructured the system last year, creating four regional school boards that replaced local boards and parish councils the union had been dealing with. In January, the regional boards rejected association requests to unionize teachers again.

If Catholic teachers were covered by the state law, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board could force the diocese to hold a secret ballot vote among teachers -- overseen by an independent third party – and the majority of the votes would determine whether they unionized.

Lacking that legal option, the union has staged rallies, pickets, prayer vigils and several “sick outs” at schools. The union also appealed the diocesan decision to the church hierarchy. The diocese has steadfastly insisted the decision is final and irrevocable, and has moved ahead with a “Labor Relations Program” that officials promise will fairly represent all school employees.

Union President Michael Milz said he and an attorney for the association plan to testify at the hearing. Milz was one of several teachers at Holy Redeemer High School laid off this summer. The diocese insists the move was the result of declining enrollment, but Milz has called it retaliation for his union actions.

Milz filed a complaint with the Labor Relations Board, expecting the board to reject it. Last Friday the board issued a notice doing just that. “That was our first step,” Milz said Thursday, adding that he will take further legal action, possibly including a lawsuit.

The diocese has issued a statement saying House Bill 2626 “would produce serious religious freedom and constitutional consequences” and vowing to join other diocese and religious schools to oppose it “not because the Church opposes unions, but because the government has no place in interposing itself as an arbiter within religious ministries.”

The hearing is set for 1 p.m. in room 140 of the Main Capitol in Harrisburg.

PLRB won’t rule on Milz case against Diocese of Scranton

The following article appeared in the Scranton Times Tribune, July 31, 2008:

PLRB won’t rule on Milz case against Diocese of Scranton

A decision on whether the head of the Diocese of Scranton teachers union was terminated because of his union activities will not be made by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board.

Lawyers for the diocese and Michael Milz, president of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers, received the board’s decision this week that it had no jurisdiction on Mr. Milz’s charges.

Mr. Milz said his attorney is working on a civil lawsuit that will be filed against the diocese.

Earlier this month, Mr. Milz filed the labor charges, claiming he was terminated “solely in retaliation for his vocal advocacy in support of his co-workers’ right to organize a union for mutual aid and protection.”

Mr. Milz said the complaint to the PLRB was part of a larger effort to force a reconsideration of the state Labor Relations Act so it applies to employees of religiously affiliated schools.

A bill introduced in the state House of Representatives in June would amend the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act to give lay teachers and employees of private, religiously affiliated schools the right to join collective bargaining units. The first hearing on the bill will be Aug. 18 in Harrisburg.

Mr. Milz was one of eight teachers in the Holy Cross and Holy Redeemer school systems laid off in June.

At the time, the diocese said the layoffs were necessary because of reduced staffing needs and a 9.4 percent dip in student enrollment across the two systems for the 2008-09 school year.

In January, the diocese announced it would not recognize the union as a collective bargaining unit and instead implemented an employee relations program.

Mr. Milz, who was a social studies teacher at Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre and a 34-year employee of the school system, has led the campaign against the decision.

Today’s Catholic Light, the diocesan newspaper, contains an article about the labor board’s decision and its impact on the bill that has been introduced in the House.

“House Bill 2626 would produce serious religious freedom and constitutional consequences that go well beyond who gets to represent the interests of some Catholic school teachers in the Diocese of Scranton,” the article states.

Are these the actions of a Christian?

The following letter to the editor of the Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice appeared July 27, 2008:

Are these the actions of a Christian?

The following is a letter I sent to Archbishop Pietro Sambi in Washington, D.C. regarding the situation at Holy Redeemer High School.Your Excellency:

I am a Catholic woman from the Diocese of Scranton. I am writing to you because I am unable to get any response from the bishop of the diocese, the Most Reverend Bishop Joseph F. Martino, D.D., Hist. Ed.D.Bishop Martino has chosen to ignore hundreds of years of Church teaching and policy concerning human dignity and the absolute right of working men and women to organize.

Bishop Martino has turned a deaf ear to many Catholics of this diocese, to the employees of the diocesan schools, and to the children, the students, the young people who should be the future of this diocese and, indeed, of the Catholic Church.

And finally, Bishop Martino has terminated the employment of the 34-year veteran teacher who, because of his faith in church teaching and his courage to stand up for the rights of the employees of the diocesan schools, has led the union’s struggle for recognition by the bishop.

And so I am compelled to say to you, “Please help me to understand.”

Are these the actions of a priest?

Are these the actions of a bishop?

Are these the actions of a Christian?

Andrea A. Glod
Wilkes-Barre

Diocesan teachers gain support from King’s

The following article appeared in the Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice, July 26, 2008:

Diocesan teachers gain support from King’s

The Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers released a statement Friday announcing the support of more than 100 King’s College faculty and staff members.

The support from the Catholic college further validates the teachers union’s struggle to be recognized by the diocese, said SDACT President Michael Milz.

“It’s terrific,” he said. “Anytime we receive support for Catholic groups, we know we’re on the right track in what we’re trying to do. We’re reaffirmed and we think we’re right.”

The 100-plus King’s faculty and staff members signed an online petition started by The Rev. Patrick Sullivan of the school’s sociology department.

The petition said, “(Workers) have a right to assemble and to vote their desire to have a union represent their interests about wages, working conditions, health benefits, pensions, vacations, days-off, break-time and all the other items most workers desire and often enjoy. The members of the Scranton Diocese Catholic Teachers Association are steadfastly denied those rights by the Bishop of Scranton — contrary to Catholic social teaching and natural law.”

Sullivan declined to comment further on the petition or the process of acquiring signatures other than to say it was done online.

Milz said Sullivan has supported labor unions and has been a renowned expert on the Catholic church’s labor stance for more than 50 years. Support from someone with that experience is especially gratifying, he said.

“Anything Father Pat is behind is further reaffirmation that we’re right,” Milz said. “He’s an expert. He knows more than anyone else in the country.”

“The diocese respects the right of anyone to express their opinion on the matter,” said William Genello, Diocese of Scranton spokesman. “The diocese believes that it is in fact treating all of its employees fairly, and in the case of the Catholic school teachers, we have established an employee relations program that is enabling the teachers and all school employees to provide input into wages, benefits and working conditions and the grievance process.”

He declined to further comment on the petition.

King's College Community Supports SDACT's Campaign

The SDACT campaign for dignity and justice has received the following “Statement of Support” from the King's College Community in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT


In admiration of the understanding and appreciation of the plight of their teacher’s efforts to have a union recognized by Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino;

In amazement at students’ of practicing social justice taught by their teachers in diocesan schools;

In appreciation of the many fine students directed to King’s College by Diocesan teachers,

More than one-hundred lay members of King’s College faculty and staff wholeheartedly endorse and support the Scranton Catholic Teachers Association to move Bishop Martino to respect Catholic social teaching and permit this union of teachers to resume it’s more than thirty years of peaceful and productive labor-management relations with the Scranton Diocese.

Former students laud commitment of lay teachers in diocese

The following letter to the editor of the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader appeared July 22, 2008:

Hint from history?

The following letter to the editor of the Scranton Times, appeared July 24, 2008:

Hint from history?

Editor:

As a historian of the labor movement, working people, and Pennsylvania’s industrial heritage, I was surprised to learn of recent actions by the Diocese of Scranton to remove from employment an educator who had advocated that teachers be organized. The diocese denied that his dismissal was due to his positions on collective bargaining. One would hope that is, indeed, the truth.

However, there is further evidence that the diocese may indeed be anti-labor. The diocesan Web site states the following in discussing the history of one of its bishops:

“Bishop McCormick’s principal claim to recognition was the skill with which he dealt with the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council and the contemporary upheaval in society’s values. Calmly, deliberately, and courageously, he disposed of problems as they occurred. During his 17 years, priestly and religious vocations dwindled, schools and hospitals were increasingly staffed by the laity, labor unions and work stoppages made their disturbing debuts.”

Perhaps the last sentence, in particular, is in error. Perhaps whoever wrote it knows little about papal encyclicals that have supported and advocated for working people and the dignity of labor throughout the world. Or, maybe the writer chose to overlook the history of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s working people and labor unions that lifted thousands out of poverty; fought for an end to child labor, advocated the New Deal-era reforms that brought Social Security, unemployment compensation, and the legal right to collectively bargain, and brought dignity and respect to those ill-treated by industrial capitalism in coal mines, garment factories, and textile mills.

For the Church to assert the “labor unions and work stoppages made their disturbing debuts” is, at its least, insensitive to the history of so many of its pilgrim and immigrant members. On a broader level such a statement ignores Vatican policy and teachings such as evidenced by the late Karol Wojtyla in his support of Poland’s working people and the Solidarity labor union.

One would hope such a blatant statement is inaccurate and does not reflect the real position of the Diocese of Scranton toward the labor movement and working people, the very backbone of its support throughout its entire history.

KENNETH C. WOLENSKY
GRANTVILLE,DAUPHIN COUNTY

Bishop Martino Must Resign

As reported in today's local newspapers, although the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT), as well as most informed members of the community knew that Michael Milz, President of the SDACT, was targeted and fired for union activity, it was still a shock to learn the lengths to which the Diocese went in order to cover it up.

The conspiracy concocted by the Diocese to terminate Milz began in 2007 when the Diocese created a ridiculous, one-of-a-kind, method of determining seniority and placement which negated any seniority Milz had accrued, and put him at the bottom of the new seniority system after 33 years of teaching. Once that was accomplished, the rest of the scenario was put into play at the end of the last school year by increasing class size, reducing student electives and increasing teachers’ workloads in order to say that Milz’s job was eliminated in order to “run a leaner school.”

Since Diocesan officials knew such a transparent scheme would be seen for what it was, and since they were unwilling to face public criticism for firing Milz, they conspired to cover up his termination through an unethical and devious manipulation of staffing needs, leading to the cavalier decision to terminate another teacher, Jim George. Such actions demonstrate a total lack of concern for the sacrifice and dedication of our teachers. Those involved in this plot had absolutely no regard for the emotional trauma inflicted on Milz and George - teachers who loved their jobs and the students they had served for more than three decades. The harm they have inflicted on them is irreparable.

What the Diocese (and all involved in the conspiracy did) is repeatedly lie to the public about Milz’s firing. As recently as last week the Diocese, through its spokesperson Bill Genello, lied to the Wall Street Journal about the nature of Milz’s termination. They have repeatedly done this in print and on TV. Their very public pronouncements we now know are at wide variance with the truth.

Superintendent of Schools Joseph Casciano, Holy Redeemer System Director Susan Dennen and Holy Redeemer Principal James Redington, as well as any other administrator connected with this conspiracy must resign. So must Bishop Joseph Martino, for he’s made it crystal clear to the public on many occasions that all decisions emanate from him. A fish rots from the head down, and this is never truer than in the Scranton Diocese. In the process of the cover-up, the Diocese was intentionally willing to hurt teachers, students and parents by showing little regard for the detrimental impact their actions would have on the entire educational process - all in order to succeed in their vendetta against Milz.

Robert Beviglia, on the other hand, should be seen as a hero, the only administrator in this sordid affair with a shred of integrity. We’re certain that he now faces the loss of his own job for doing nothing more than what was the ethical thing to do. If that happens, the public must respond accordingly.

Finally, we hope the public now fully understands why all Catholic school teachers in Pennsylvania need the protection of House Bill 2626. What was done to Milz would be illegal in any other workplace in America —just as is the company union scheme the Diocese created instead of recognizing the union. But the way the law now stands, even though their actions are unethical and immoral, Church officials have every legal right to do these things. Catholic school teachers have no recourse. They can fire us for our union activity, they can deny us our First Amendment right to freedom of assembly and there is nothing we can do legally to stop it.

Union: School administrator proves diocese conspiracy

The following story appeared in the online Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, July 19, 2008:

Union: School administrator proves diocese conspiracy

WILKES-BARRE – Contending that statements by the vice principal of Holy Redeemer High School back him up, Scranton Diocese Association for Catholic Teachers President Michael Milz said the diocese conspired to have him ousted from his teaching job, and sacrificed a second teacher to make sure it looked like Milz was not targeted for his public push to unionize teachers.

Related Document7-18-08 statements on SDACT accusations

The diocese and Holy Redeemer Principal James Redington flatly denied any conspiracy, and in a statement the diocese said “the accusations are preposterous and have no merit.” The vice principal, Robert Beviglia, said he could not comment and referred all questions to Diocese Spokesman Bill Genello, who referred questions to Redington.

Milz insists – and two parents with children attending Holy Redeemer back him up – that Beviglia had numerous conversations with them in which the academic vice principal told of what he perceived as a deliberate decision to orchestrate Milz removal and cover the effort by laying off other people.

According to Milz and the two parents, Beviglia said that:

The original plan was to lay off the most junior teacher from each department at Holy Redeemer using the seniority system set up when the entire school system was restructured. That restructuring created four regional school boards that replaced numerous local boards, some of which had negotiated with the union. When the new boards were created, they rejected requests to unionize teachers, and Milz led a public campaign to reverse that decision.

When the original plan was rejected, another was proposed. Milz would be laid off along with Jim George, the social studies teacher with the next lowest seniority, thus still creating the appearance that Milz was not targeted because of his union efforts. But George would later be offered his job back, after any furor regarding the lay off of Milz died down. Money was kept in next year’s budget for the extra social studies position.

A religious sister was added to the social studies department as a teacher to further assure that Milz would have the least seniority. The sister had fewer years in the diocese system, but the diocese gives preference to religious sisters regardless of teaching time because of their history serving the diocese. That sister was added last school year, but did not teach because of health issues.

Beviglia, who is responsible at Holy Redeemer for calculating how many teachers will be in each department, realized at one point that the school would be short at least one teacher after the layoffs. He raised his concerns with Regional Director Susan Dennen and Diocesan School Superintendent Joseph Casciano but was rebuffed. At one point Beviglia was called to a meeting with Casciano expressly “to make sure he was on the same page” regarding Milz.

Beviglia also urged the diocese to find a way to keep Milz and George because they were both good teachers and taught higher level courses. George had created a course only he could teach because of his experience, and Milz had taught Advanced Placement history. At one point, Beviglia suggested Milz be kept on part-time to continue teaching the advanced placement class, but Casciano said “If he’s gone, he’s gone.”

The union issued a statement contending Milz had been targeted in 2007 when the diocese “created a ridiculous, one-of a kind method of determining seniority and placement” which put Milz “at the bottom” despite 33 years experience. “The rest of the scenario was put into play at the end of the last school year by increasing class size, reducing student electives and increasing teachers’ workloads in order to say that Milz’s job was eliminated in order to ‘run a leaner school.’”

The union contends the diocese “lied to the public” and “conspired to cover up” the plan to get rid of Milz, “Leading to the cavalier decision to terminate” George. The union calls for the resignation of Casciano, Dennen, Redington and Bishop Joseph Martino, but argues Beviglia “should be seen as a hero, the only administrator in this sordid affair with a shred of integrity.”

The union also contends this proves Catholic teachers need the legal protection afforded public school teachers through the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act. The state Supreme Court has ruled Catholic teachers do not fall under the law, but State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, has introduced a bill to amend the law and eliminate that exclusion.

Sharon Hourigan, one of the leading members of a group called Parents Supporting SDACT, echoed the union sentiments, and stressed that Beviglia only spoke after she had contacted him in May “because there were rumor’s going on about Milz termination.” Hourigan said Beviglia spoke to her several times and “was always on the up and up and never really wanted to get in the thick of it. I really believe he had the kid’s best interest at heart.” Hourigan said she felt Beviglia “pretty much confirmed that there was a plan” to get rid of Milz.

Parent Matthew Martin said that Hourigan had asked him to hear Beviglia’s story as well. Martin echoed much of what Milz claims Beviglia said. “I was appalled,” Martin said. “On the surface it looked as though (Milz) had been targeted, but you never really want to believe it until someone comes out and confirms it.”

Redington denied the charges. He confirmed that Beviglia does the scheduling of classes and teachers and makes recommendations to the principal, but “it’s up to the building principal, the system director and the superintendent to make a collective decision on staffing needs based on the numbers.” Whether the school needed seven or eight teachers in a given department isn’t the only issue. While eight teachers “might be the ideal,” Redington said, the administrators sometimes must consider “if we can make it work with seven, or seven and a half. That’s the way the process works.”

Redington also said “we’re dealing with layoffs and that’s a very cautious and delicate issue, and hopefully it’s done with respect and concern because you are affecting people’s lives.” When it is done, it’s base on four criteria set up last year: seniority within the regional system (without letting teachers cross between high and elementary schools), teaching certification, religious certification and a letter from a priest saying a teacher is a Catholic in good standing, or a comparable letter for a non-Catholic teacher.

Attorney William T. Finnegan, president of the regional school board that oversees Luzerne County schools, confirmed earlier this week that the board had suggested the diocese consider more criteria than those four when placing teachers, but Finnegan stressed those recommendations stemmed from suggestions by parents after the layoffs were announced earlier this summer. Finnegan said the suggestions were in no way related to Milz case or the union debate, and noted that teachers were involved in creating the seniority system currently in use.

Redington said bringing Milz back part-time to teach Advanced Placement would have required ignoring George’s higher seniority. He also said George was never promised he would get his job back, and that there is no way of knowing if another teacher would be needed until sometime in August when enrollment is firmer.

In fact, Redington said, “Mr. Casciano told (George) that the diocese would honor the early retirement package in his case.” George had missed a May deadline to apply for the package, but “because of his longevity” Casciano offered it to him.

Redington also said he had never heard of a plan to lay off one teacher form each department, or had heard any comments from Casciano insisting Milz was “out” for good. “There was no conspiracy,” Redington said.

Regarding the contention that the salary for an extra social studies teacher had been kept in the budget, Redington said “the budget is a work in progress,” and, like the staffing needs, can’t be finalized until sometime in August.

The diocese issued a statement repeating the criteria used for seniority in determining which teachers were laid off and calling the accusations “the latest salvo in SDACT’s misinformation campaign against the bishop and the diocese. &hellip The diocese stands by its actions and will continue to communicate the truth.”

The statement says “the number of teachers needed is based on enrollment and course selection,” and that “because of enrollment declines and course selections, eight teachers were laid off” at the end of the school year. Milz and another social studies teacher were laid off “because they had the least seniority in that department.”

The statement repeated the diocesan position that “if additional positions are needed due to attrition or enrollment increases,” teachers who had been laid off “will receive first consideration” for any openings.

Martin said the public needs to understand the larger significance of the ongoing dispute in the Catholic school system. “This is a major issue as far as I’m concerned which could affect the general taxpaying population.” Noting that Dallas and Crestwood School districts are facing costly construction projects to relieve crowding in their schools, Martin said that if the Catholic school system suffers too much it could collapse and “the public school system cannot handle the sudden influx” of students that would result.

“I don’t think people who don’t have kids in Catholic schools understand how much money is being saved by people like Sharon and me paying to send our children to Catholic schools.
“That’s why it’s so critical that this situation gets resolved.”

Milz alleges conspiracy in layoff from school

The following article appeared in the Scranton Times Tribune, July 19, 2008:

Milz alleges conspiracy in layoff from school

Diocesan teachers union President Michael Milz on Friday laid out a more-detailed account of what he alleges was a conspiracy to terminate his teaching job in retaliation for speaking out against the diocese.

He said officials from the Diocese of Scranton laid off another social studies teacher with the intention of bringing him back before the start of the school year, all in an effort to avoid the appearance of a targeted layoff of Mr. Milz.

Mr. Milz and Sharon Hourigan, spokeswoman for the parents group supporting the union, both said they were told by Robert Beviglia, vice principal of Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre, that social studies teacher Jim George was laid off so it would not appear that the diocese targeted Mr. Milz.

Mr. Beviglia handles all scheduling for the school, and was told of the diocese’s plan through several meetings and conversations with diocesan school administrators, including Holy Redeemer System Director Susan Dennen, Principal James Redington and Superintendent of Schools Joseph Casciano, Mr. Milz said.

When reached for comment on Friday, Mr. Beviglia referred all questions to diocesan spokesman William Genello.

The diocese released a statement calling the claims “false” and “preposterous.”

Mr. Milz, president of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers, which the diocese refuses to recognize, was one of five Holy Redeemer teachers laid off in June. Of the nine people in the Holy Redeemer social studies department, Mr. Milz had the least seniority according to the diocese’s criteria, and Mr. George had the second-least. Another social studies teacher retired at the end of the school year.

According to Mr. Milz, Mr. Beviglia explained to the other administrators that he could not make a schedule with the limited number of teachers that would be left in the department after the planned layoffs. In response, Ms. Dennen told him to “just throw something together that will justify Milz’s termination, and we’ll call people back after the fact to give you what you need to do the real schedule,” Mr. Milz said.

Mr. Milz said the alleged cover-up was one of two plans by the diocese to hide his targeted dismissal. The other called for laying off the most junior member in every department at the school. An administrator decided that would be “too transparent” and might “blow up in their faces,” Mr. Milz said.

Mr. Redington rebutted Mr. Milz’s claim and said there was no conspiracy to target the union president. He added that administrators have not begun to make the schedule.“We all know he is a very notable and popular teacher,” Mr. Redington said. “But there was no plan to simply remove him because of who he is.”

Mr. Casciano and Ms. Dennen referred comments to Mr. Genello, who released a statement calling Mr. Milz’s claim a “false accusation.”

“This is the latest salvo in SDACT’s (the union’s) misinformation campaign against the bishop and the diocese,” it said. “As usual, the accusations are preposterous and have no merit.”

Mrs. Hourigan, the parents group representative, said she first approached Mr. Beviglia in May — before the layoffs were announced on June 9 — after hearing rumors that Mr. Milz was targeted for dismissal.

“Mr. Beviglia answered my questions and confirmed my suspicions about a planned attempt by the officials of the Diocese of Scranton to remove Mr. Milz,” she said in a prepared statement. She added that Mr. Beviglia is “a hero” who discussed the alleged cover-up with her “at considerable risk to his livelihood.

”Mr. George, who initially had no knowledge of the alleged cover-up but has since heard about it, said he has not been offered his job back for the fall.

“My only goal is to get back in the classroom,” he said.

Mr. Milz, who filed a charge of unfair labor practices against the diocese on July 2, said the information he received from Mr. Beviglia served as the basis for his claim the he was terminated solely in retaliation for his union advocacy.

On Friday, Mr. Milz called for Mr. Casciano, Mr. Redington and Ms. Dennen to resign from their roles in the diocesan schools. He and Mrs. Hourigan also called for the resignation of Bishop Joseph Martino.

The diocese described the calls for resignation as “outlandish.”“What these people did was unconscionable,” Mr. Milz said. “They had no concern for the welfare of the kids. They had no concern for the teachers that they harmed.”

Catholic teacher union representatives coordinate strategy for HB 2626

First Row - L to R: Brian Klisavage (Pittsburgh), Irene Tori, Rita Schwartz (Philadelphia), Michelle Kirk (Altoona). Second Row: Kreg Mendus (Greensburg), Bill Milz (Scranton), Steve Lieb (Altoona), Mike Milz (Scranton), Mike Galante (Philadelphia) and John Gallery (Allentown)

Six of Pennsylvania's eight Roman Catholic dioceses (Allentown, Altoona, Greensburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Scranton) have teachers' unions that represent the employees in their dioceses' schools. On July 15-16, leaders from those associations gathered in Pittsburgh to coordinate strategy to effect the passage of HB 2626, which will amend the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act (PLRA) to include the employees of religiously-affiliated schools.

The two-day workshop was highlighted by a presentation by Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, who is the prime sponsor of HB 2626. 56 other members of the House of Represenatives have signed on as cosponsors for the Bill.

Rita Schwartz, President, National Association of Catholic School Teachers, Mike Milz and Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski.

The effort to amend the PLRA grew out of the situation in the Scranton Diocese where, after 30 years of representing the Diocese's teachers, the Diocese announced that it would no longer recognize the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) and instead implemented a company union, a device that would be illegal in any other workplace in America.

In June, SDACT President, Mike Milz, was fired for his vocal advocacy on behalf of the union and the right of Diocesan teachers to organize. This action too would be illegal if Catholic school teachers enjoyed the protections offered by the PLRA to every other worker in the Commonwealth.

All who attended the Pittsburgh meeting were in agreement that the actions of Diocesan officials in Scranton could be replicated in their own dioceses, and thus the bargaining rights of Catholic school teachers across the state can only be secured if HB 2626 becomes law.

Milz seeks broader support

The following article appeared in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, July 17, 2008:

Milz seeks broader support

Catholic teachers union chief pressing for protection through Labor Relations Act.

By Mark Guydishhttp://www.timesleader.com/news/mailto:mguydish@timesleader.comEducation Reporter

WILKES-BARRE – Catholic school teacher union President Michael Milz met with representatives from the teacher unions in five other Pennsylvania dioceses Wednesday to line up support for an amendment that would give Catholic teachers legal protection through the state Labor Relations Act.

The meeting comes on the heels of Milz’s decision to file a complaint with the Labor Relations Board, a complaint he concedes the board will almost certainly refuse to consider under current law. But Milz said the complaint is the first step to bring legal action against the Diocese of Scranton for laying him off from his job as social studies teacher at Holy Redeemer High School.

The diocese insists Milz was not laid off because of his union efforts, and that he and seven other teachers, including another social studies teacher, were laid off because of an enrollment decline. The diocese claims – and Milz has not disputed – that he and the other teacher had the least seniority under a system set up prior to the union dispute and with teacher input.

The school board that runs Holy Redeemer and other Luzerne County Catholic schools has recommended changes to that seniority system, attorney and Board President William T. Finnegan confirmed Wednesday. Finnegan said the decision to recommend changes came after the layoffs, but he stressed it was not made because of the situation with Milz or the union.

When the layoffs occurred, “a number of board members received feedback from parents and students indicating that factors other than seniority should be considered,” Finnegan said. “The board discussed it, and we think those things should be looked at.”

The diocese system considers seniority based on years of continuous service. Seniority doesn’t apply across regional systems or between elementary and high schools. It also requires a religious certification, and state certification “after three years of successful teaching.”

Finnegan said the board felt “there should be a more comprehensive look on how things are being done.” He noted the regional board does not set the policy, but “the board collectively has asked the diocese to take a look at it.”

Milz is president of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic School Teachers, a union that represented many teachers locally until last year’s restructuring created four regional school boards to replace numerous local boards the association had dealt with. In January, the diocese rejected requests to let teachers unionize and formed an “employee relations program” that officials insist will represent all school workers fairly. The union has waged a campaign to reverse that decision.

Last month the diocese sent notices to teachers, including Milz, with news that they were being laid off. In his complaint to the state, Milz contends the diocesan claim that he was laid off due to reduced staffing needs “was entirely pretextual” and that he was “terminated solely in retaliation” for his efforts to unionize teachers.

The state Supreme Court has ruled that Catholic Teachers do not fall under the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act, which does apply to public school teachers, so the Catholic teachers could not petition the Labor Relations Board to force the diocese to hold a secret-ballot vote on unionization. That court ruling is also the reason the Labor Relations Board likely will refuse to consider the complaint Milz filed.

But Milz said he had to file the complaint – and expects to file a similar complaint with the National Labor Relations Board “to exhaust any legal possibilities” before pursuing a potential lawsuit against the diocese. The move could also bolster efforts in the state legislature to amend the Labor Relations Act so it expressly covers Catholic teachers. That amendment was introduced by Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre.

The diocese issued a statement saying it “believes it has acted properly in accordance with its established policies, and it will defend any charges of unfair labor practices.”

Milz claims retaliation from the Diocese of Scranton

The following article appeared in the Scranton Times Tribune, July 16, 2008:

Milz claims retaliation from the Diocese of Scranton

The head of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers has filed a charge of unfair labor practices against the Diocese of Scranton for what he alleges was a retaliatory dismissal in June.

Michael Milz, president of the teachers union, which the diocese does not recognize, filed the charge with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board on July 2. In the filing, he claims he was terminated “solely in retaliation for his vocal advocacy in support of his co-workers’ right to organize a union for mutual aid and protection.”Mr. Milz was one of eight teachers in the Holy Cross and Holy Redeemer school systems laid off June 9. At the time, the diocese said the layoffs were necessary because of reduced staffing needs and a 9.4 percent dip in student enrollment across the two systems for the 2008-09 school year.

In his charge, Mr. Milz contends the diocese’s justification is “entirely pretextual.”

“It seems rather transparent that one of the reasons he was laid off was because of his high visibility as the leader of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers,” his attorney, Bruce Endy, said.

“The Diocese believes it has acted properly in accordance with its established policies, and it will defend any charges of unfair labor practices,” diocesan officials said in a statement released Tuesday.

The statement said Mr. Milz “and another teacher in the social studies department at Holy Redeemer High School were among those laid off because they had the least seniority in that department.

“No one was fired. The layoffs were determined strictly according to the criteria used in previous years,” it continued. “There were no other factors involved.”

In January, the diocese announced it would not recognize SDACT as a collective bargaining unit and instead implemented an employee relations program. Mr. Milz, who was a social studies teacher at Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre and a 34-year employee of the school system, has led the campaign against the decision.

Mr. Milz said the charge to the Labor Relations Board is part of a larger effort to force a reconsideration of the state Labor Relations Act so that it applies to employees of religiously affiliated schools.

He and Mr. Endy expect the state board will claim not to have jurisdiction to decide the matter. If the board refuses to hear the charge, Mr. Milz intends to appeal to Commonwealth Court and, eventually, the state Supreme Court.

“We need a vehicle to get to the Supreme Court to determine whether or not the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act applies,” Mr. Endy said. “It’s no secret that we’re trying to move on as many fronts as we can, including the legislative front.”

A bill introduced in the state House of Representatives in June would amend the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act to give lay teachers and employees of private, religiously affiliated schools the right to join collective bargaining units.

If the Supreme Court considers Mr. Milz’s dismissal, its decision will likely have broader consequences for the teachers union and all religiously affiliated schools in the state.

“It goes right to the heart of the fact that I don’t have any legal protection to prevent [the diocese] doing what they did to me,” Mr. Milz said. “Nor does any other employee of a religiously affiliated school of any denomination have any right unless we are covered under the law.”

Read Milz's complaint

Read the Diocese's Statement

As teacher, Michael Milz was one of the best

The following letter to the editor of the Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice appeared July 13, 2008:

As teacher, Michael Milz was one of the best

“Patience, courage, self-sacrifice, self-discipline, and a sense of justice,” these are words used to describe George Washington in the history notes of Mr. Michael Milz. Little did I know when I first wrote those notes in my notebook that I would be reading them over a year and a half later. However it is all these words that come to mind when I think of what Mr. Milz has done leading the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers. I believe it is fitting to make this connection because on a much smaller scale, Mr. Milz is waging a similar fight that the father of our nation did. The opponents in both cases held a “father knows best” attitude towards those who they controlled. Both believed that a show of force against the “rebels” would calm the storm. Both were wrong. Attacking our teachers by accusing them of being greedy individuals hasn’t worked, disregarding countless requests and pleas hasn’t worked, and “dismissing” the president of the union hasn’t worked. The fact is what the diocese has done is negatively affect the students and schools in the Diocese of Scranton.

I was a student of Mr. Milz my first two years of high school at Bishop Hoban. I was wholeheartedly looking forward to having him for Advanced Placement (AP) History this year. Unfortunately through his systematic “dismissal” from Holy Redeemer, that will not happen. I am writing to let the diocese know that their decision affects the students more than just losing a teacher. Mr. Milz is widely regarded among students to be one of, if not the best teachers around. His “dismissal” shows the students who the diocese really cares about. They don’t care that his students consistently scored exceptionally well on the AP History exam. They don’t care that his recommendations have assisted students in getting into some of the best colleges in the country. As his students we are indebted to him for the rest of our lives for his help.

It appears very unlikely that Mr. Milz will have a job again at Holy Redeemer. In saying this I would like to thank Mr. Milz on behalf of all his former students for his dedication to his job and dedication to his “kids.” We won’t forget the lessons he taught us, especially to stand up for what is right and what we believe in. I doubt that I will ever have a teacher like him again, but I will forever carry on the knowledge I gained from him.

Leann Ziobro
Hudson

FROM TODAY'S WALL STREET JOURNAL: Crisis of Faith Between Church, Union?

The following article appeared in the Wall Street Journal, July 10, 2008:


Wall%20Street%20Journal%20article.pdf

Many parishes in Scranton, Pa., display a picture of the Most Rev. Michael Hoban, the Scranton bishop who backed coal miners during a bitter six-month strike in 1902.

But the church and organized labor don't see eye-to-eye in Scranton these days. Diocesan officials have withdrawn recognition of the local parochial-teachers' union and laid off its president, angering many local residents and Pennsylvania lawmakers. It was only the latest blow-up between financially struggling dioceses and teachers seeking job security and raises. Their salaries can lag behind those of public schools by $20,000 to $40,000 a year.

The labor clash symbolizes the struggle within the largest U.S. religious denomination to keep alive once-bedrock institutions that defined the lives of American Catholics and nurtured believers from cradle to grave. Dioceses nationwide have shuttered Catholic parishes and schools, sold hospitals and closed nursing homes as the Catholic Church tries to manage with limited resources and waning dominance amid greater competition in American religious life.
Catholic schools, especially those in older, industrial regions, are grappling with a financial crisis brought about by several factors: plunging enrollments as families choose to send their children to more modern, high-tech secular schools; the growth in tuition-free charter schools; mounting benefits costs; and financially troubled parishes that don't have extra money to prop up parish schools.

Some dioceses are trying to recover from the fallout and financial repercussions from the Catholic clerical abuse scandal, in which several parochial teachers and principals were accused of sexually abusing students.

Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino tried to defuse the tension in his diocese in a letter to diocesan members in February. He wrote that, far from violating Catholic principles, he was ensuring that Catholic schools, vital to the ``promotion of the Catholic faith,'' would endure. ``Parents make significant financial sacrifices to obtain a Catholic education for their sons and daughters," Bishop Martino wrote, adding that it is his job to "establish the requirements for Catholic education and to see that they are accomplished in our schools."

Still, some Catholic school teachers say it is ironic they can't band together, given a history of union sympathy that includes Pope John Paul II's support for Poland's Solidarity movement and Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum in 1891. Written during the Industrial Revolution, it supported a living wage and union protection.

Church leaders "preach and march with farm workers and textile workers, but when our workers are trying to organize, they fight them," said Rita Schwartz, president of the National Association of Catholic School Teachers.

Fewer than 40 of the U.S. church's 194 dioceses have a bargaining unit. Lay teachers began replacing many nuns in the 1960s, and some teachers tried to organize. Today, nearly 96% of the nation's 160,000 Catholic school teachers are lay workers, and many face unpredictable employment as parochial schools in older regions flag.

Bargaining associations have sprouted despite court rulings that federal labor laws do not extend to church schools. Only New York, Minnesota and New Jersey cover Catholic-school teachers under state labor laws or the state constitution. Without such protections, unions can thrive only where bishops recognize them.

Many teachers' associations have had to fight to get recognized, and several have met their demise after years of operating. Last year, a Vatican court upheld St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke's 2004 order declining to negotiate with an elementary-school teachers' association. Teachers there said his decision was unfair, given that the archdiocese recognized high-school teachers and cemetery workers' unions. In 2004, the Archdiocese of Boston stopped recognizing a decades-old union representing more than 200 high-school teachers when the bishop reorganized the schools to make them financially independent of the diocese.

Unions without state protections have been unable to appeal such moves. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1979 that schools run by a church where theology and academic subjects are taught aren't subject to the National Labor Relations Act. The high court hasn't taken a case since that might lead to nationwide labor coverage under federal law. Lawyers say many churches would, no doubt, vigorously fight such a step, viewing government involvement as an illegal entanglement in church affairs.

Scranton diocesan officials stopped recognizing the 27-year-old parochial teachers union in January after reorganizing the Catholic schools, removing them from the auspices of local parishes and closing several. The diocese said it would no longer bargain with the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers, which says it represented about half of the 700 teachers. Instead, the diocese selected teachers for what it called an employee relations program, in which "employee councils" would suggest any changes in wages and benefits. The diocese is under no obligation to abide by the suggestions.

The diocese says that in the past six years, enrollment at its schools in several of its 11 counties has slid by a third. Student tuition -- $2,700 annually for elementary school, $5,000 for high school -- covers less than 60% of the actual per-pupil costs. In addition, the diocese says its four regional school boards, with a projected budget of $49 million, have a $2.4 million deficit.
Despite the financial issues, furious Catholic school teachers and students walked out of the Scranton diocese schools and picketed, blasting the bishop in letters to local papers. The teachers union asked that churchgoers withhold their donations.

Leading the protests was teachers union President Michael Milz of nearby Wilkes-Barre. In June, the 33-year classroom veteran was one of eight teachers laid off. "You've got hypocrites like our bishops that do not practice what they preach,'' said Mr. Milz, who earned $61,000 annually. The union's lawyer said he is still considering the option of a lawsuit over the scuttled contract.

The decision not to rehire Mr. Milz next school year was based on the need to shed people in his social-studies department, said Bill Ginello, a diocesan spokesman. Mr. Milz, he said, "was not targeted and not fired in any way" and had less seniority than others in the department. Mr. Milz said he had more seniority than other teachers in the system who were retained.

Diocesan officials bristle at the way some locals have portrayed them. "We're not antiunion," Mr. Ginello said. "However, a union is not the only way to assure the dignity and fair treatment of your employees." The diocese says that under the union there was a pay and benefits disparity between different schools in the diocese. It promises that the new program would provide consistency in wages among teachers, as well as aides, administrators, office workers and others not previously represented.

Last month, state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, a Catholic Democrat from Wilkes-Barre, proposed giving teachers at religiously affiliated schools state labor protections. Fifty lawmakers -- about one-fourth of Pennsylvania's General Assembly -- signed on to the bill as co-sponsors. Hearings should start in the fall, he said.

Bishop Martino has blasted the bill, signaling a legal fight to come. "Teachers and staff in Catholic schools are not mere employees, but ministers in advancing an important mission," a statement on the diocesan Web site says. Such a law would create a "type of church-state entanglement [that] would provoke a constitutional confrontation of the first magnitude."

Some Catholics say they are worried about the long-term effect the fight will have on a diocese that is fast losing members to old age and better job prospects elsewhere. "What the bishop failed to realize is, he has engaged in a self-fulfilling prophesy," said Bob Wolensky, a sociologist and Scranton native who has written several books about Pennsylvania labor. "By denying the teachers this right and closing the schools, he has eroded additional support for Catholic schools and therefore the Catholic church."

Write to Suzanne Sataline at suzanne.sataline@wsj.com

Unfounded fears

The following letter to the editor of the Scranton Times Tribune appeared July 10, 2008:

Unfounded fears

Editor:

In the June 29 letter by the Rev. Patrick Mohr, S.J. about Michael Milz, president of SDCTA, we have a comparison of apples and oranges. Milz is defending proposed amendments to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act, not the act as it presently reads nor the present National Labor Relations Act. The amendment forbids the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board to “define or interpret religious doctrine,” to “alter the employer’s organizational structure” or to “determine who within the employer’s organization has the power to resolve religious controversies relating to the structure of the employer.”

Father Mohr failed to state that in Catholic Bishop of Chicago v. NLRB, the Supreme Court did not adopt the constitutional discussion of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court’s decision was based on the absence in the Wagner Act of any mention of religious teachers. Chief Justice Warren Burger’s theorizing about possible grounds for entanglement was not part of the Catholic Bishop of Chicago v. NLRB case. Hence, the comment carries no greater weight than other personal Burger choices. Furthermore, Supreme Court decisions squarely addressing the constitutional protections of religion have been heard since the Catholic bishop case in 1979 and have proven the fears of entanglement raised by Chief Justice Burger and the Seventh Circuit to be unfounded.

Preferable to select legal comments or personal biases about present state and federal labor-management legislation are efforts to obviate the pitfalls in that legislation by a proper understanding, from a voice of experience, of what collective bargaining and labor relations law really entail.

In March 1978, John H. Fanning, a graduate of Catholic parochial schools, Providence College and Catholic University Law School, NLRB member since 1957 and chair in 1977, spoke about the NLRA. “A comparison . . . with the Preamble of the . . . National Labor Relations Act would suggest that the meaning of Rerum Novarum was equally a function of its perception (not only of its source).”

The reference was to the influence of Catholic University Monsignor John A. Ryan and Monsignor Francis Haas. The former aided in the formulation of the NLRA and the latter almost became its chairman.

Fanning quoted a section from Rerum Novarum calling for public remedial measures to remove the threat to public peace which lurks in an unregulated labor management setting. Fanning found an “immediate irony” that one of the principal issues that the Supreme Court would consider in 1978 would be the applicability of the National Labor Relations Act to the Catholic school system. Fanning said, “Whether we are at a crossroads, then, should not be so much an issue as it should be our hope.”

THE REV. PATRICK J. SULLIVAN C.S.C., Ph.D.
WILKES-BARRE

Writer says bill would rein in destructive power of bishop

The following letter to the editor of the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader appeared July 9, 2008:

Writer says bill would rein in destructive power of bishop

For more than 30 years I have served as an officer/negotiator for the Bishop O’Reilly Education Association and vice president of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT). During that time I witnessed a gradual acceptance by the Scranton Diocese of Catholic school unions.

In light of Church teachings on labor rights, previous bishops acceded to the dictates of ethics and morality and recognized our right to exist.

Hundreds of contracts and amicable relationships later, our current bishop has turned his back on the honor and decency of his predecessors.

Not one of the individual Catholic school unions that flourished over the past three decades ever saw its members get rich.

In fact, many accepted substandard salaries in recognition of the financial burdens of the parents of their students. The real goal of all our affiliated unions was (and continues to be) partnership.

Aside from salaries and benefits commensurate with community standards, our unions negotiated working conditions to maximize members’ ability to provide an excellent education.
Because they had a voice in determining curriculum and class size, unionized Catholic teachers were able to create an atmosphere in which students thrived.

In fact, I’ve taught a multitude of children of parents who were also my students — parents who sought to replicate for their children the achievements they experienced.

The continuing support the SDACT has received from parents, students, the media, labor organizations and community leaders begs the question: What can possibly account for Bishop Martino’s behavior? One man wielding absolute authority has contravened 100 years of his Church’s teaching.

As a consequence, his standing as the spiritual leader of the diocese continues to diminish in the eyes of Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

The only way in which one man wielding such destructive power can be brought in line with reality is passage of House Bill 2626.

I urge all concerned with the continued vitality of Catholic education to contact their state representatives and senators and convince them to provide justice and dignity for our teachers via this vital bill.

James W. Lynch ,Vice President
Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers

Priest in group backing teachers union

The following article appeared in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, July 8, 2008:

Priest in group backing teachers union

A relatively new organization that lists a King’s College priest as part of its steering committee has called upon the Diocese of Scranton to allow teachers to unionize.

The Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice issued a brief statement supporting the right of the teachers of the diocese to bargain collectively with the diocese “through an independent union of their own.”

The statement calls upon the diocese to again recognize the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) and to immediately begin collective bargaining. The statement was posted on SDACT’s Web site, but was not on the Catholic Scholars site Monday afternoon.
Catholic Scholars was formed less than a year ago to promote Catholic social teaching on the rights of workers and the role unions play in securing justice for workers. It consists of about 200 scholars from colleges across the country.

In April, the Rev. Patrick Sullivan, a King’s College sociology professor, joined the group’s steering committee. Sullivan authored several books on labor issues and the Catholic Church. In February he publicized a letter he had written to diocese Bishop Joseph Martino that was critical of Martino’s statements regarding SDACT.

SDACT had represented teachers in many schools before the diocese restructured the system last year. At that time, the diocese eliminated local school boards that had negotiated with the teachers and formed four regional boards, three of which rejected requests to let SDACT represent teachers. The diocese established an employee relations program to represent school employees.

SDACT has waged a campaign to reverse that decision, shutting down some schools for a day and holding informational pickets and rallies. At a recent rally on Public Square, Catholic Scholars founder Joseph Fahey spoke in support of the union.

Union President Michael Milz said Catholic Scholars had contacted SDACT shortly after the diocese rejected unionization in January, and that the group helped draft House Bill 2626, introduced into the state House of Representatives by Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre. The bill would amend the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act to cover Catholic teachers, giving them legal rights in their efforts to unionize.

Milz said the union expects members of Catholic Scholars to testify at public hearings this August regarding the bill.

Diocese spokesman Bill Genello did not respond to an e-mail and phone message seeking comment.

Scranton Catholic teachers backed in dispute

The following article appeared in the Scranton Times Tribune, July 8, 2008:

Scranton Catholic teachers backed in dispute

More than 150 Catholic workers’ rights and social justice scholars are now showing support for the teachers union the Diocese of Scranton refuses to recognize.

The Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice, an organization of more than 150 scholars engaged in research, teaching and publication on Catholic social teaching, issued a release Monday calling for the diocese to recognize the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers as a collective bargaining unit.

“There’s a violation of Catholic teaching here,” Joseph Fahey, Ph.D., a professor of religious studies at Manhattan College and the organization’s chairman, said Monday. “We thought this was pretty much an open-and-shut case.

”Dr. Fahey studied all aspects of the conflict between the diocese and the union, visited the region and then wrote a report that he circulated to the organization’s members.

Members of the organization’s steering committee include scholars from Harvard Law School, Georgetown University, Catholic University of America and the University of Notre Dame. King’s College professor the Rev. Patrick J. Sullivan, C.S.C., Ph.D., who wrote a letter to news outlets this year criticizing Bishop Joseph F. Martino and the diocese, is also a member of the group.

The organization, which formed about five months ago and has grown rapidly, decided to endorse the teachers.

“Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice calls upon the Diocese of Scranton to end its campaign against the diocesan teachers’ right to free association,” the statement read.

Michael Milz, the president of the teachers union, said the statement represents the support the union has received from countless individuals, including religious scholars.

“I think it’s terrific,” Mr. Milz said. “It comes from some pretty heavy hitters.”

In January, the diocese announced it would not recognize the union and has instead implemented an employee relations program that focuses on issues such as wages, benefits, working conditions and the grievance process.

In a statement issued Monday, the diocese stated it “respects the right of individuals or groups to express their opinions.”

“In turn, the diocese asks those individuals and groups to respect the fact that a bishop is responsible for the apostolate of Catholic education in his diocese, and he has the right to manage the personnel practices in his diocese as he sees fit to best fulfill that apostolate.”

The diocese’s statement also noted there is no “campaign” by the diocese “against teachers’ rights,” which was suggested in the organization’s statement.

Catholic Scholars For Worker Justice Supports SDACT's Campaign

The SDACT campaign for dignity and justice has received the following “Statement of Support” from Catholic Scholars For Worker Justice. The organization consists of more than 200 Scholars who are engaged in research, teaching, and publication on Catholic Social Teaching on workers’ rights and social justice. Along with the statement of support the Scholars have issued a document which serves as background. Go to the following link for that document: CATHOLIC%20SOCIAL%20DOCTRINE%20AND%20WORKER%20JUSTICE.doc


Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT

Scranton Catholic Teachers (PA)

Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice supports the right of the teachers of the Diocese of Scranton (PA) to bargain collectively with the diocese through an independent union of their choice. Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice calls upon the Diocese of Scranton to end its campaign against the diocesan teachers’ right to free association. Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice calls upon the Diocese of Scranton to once again recognize the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) and to begin collective bargaining with SDACT immediately.

Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice

STEERING COMMITTEE:

JOSEPH J. FAHEY, Ph.D.
Manhattan College
Chairperson

JOE HOLLAND, Ph.D.
St. Thomas University
Vice Chairperson

MARY PRINISKI, O.P., Ph.D.
The Labor Guild, Archdiocese of Boston
Managing Secretary

THOMAS A. KOCHAN, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Treasurer

LOUISE AKERS, S.C., D.Min.
Office of Peace Justice and Integrity of Creation

JEROME BAGGETT, Ph.D.
Jesuit School of Theology Berkeley

RAYMOND DECKER, Ph.D.
Emeritus, Loyola Law School

TERESA GHILARDUCCI , Ph.D.
The New School for Social Research

JOAQUIN L. GONZALEZ, Ph.D.
University of San Francisco

DAVID L. GREGORY, Ph.D.
St. John’s University School of Law

JAMES A. GROSS, Ph.D.
Cornell University

PETER J. JUDGE, Ph.D.
Winthrop University

THOMAS C. KOHLER, Ph.D.
Boston College Law School

THOMAS J. MASSARO, S.J., Ph.D.
Weston Jesuit School of Theology

MARIA R. MAZZENGA, Ph.D.
Catholic University of America

JOSEPH A. McCARTIN, Ph.D.
Georgetown University

SHARON McGUIRE, O.P., Ph.D.
Siena Heights University

DAVID O’BRIEN, Ph.D.
Emeritus, College of the Holy Cross

JOHN J. O’BRIEN, C.P., Ph.D.
Calvary Retreat Center

JEANETTE RODRIGUEZ, Ph.D.
Seattle University

PATRICK J. SULLIVAN, C.S.C., Ph.D.
King’s College

TERRANCE W. TILLEY, Ph.D.
Fordham University

JOHN TRUMPBOUR, Ph.D.
Harvard Law School

WILLIAM P. QUIGLEY, Ph.D.
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

MARTIN WOLFSON, Ph.D.

University of Notre Dame

Lies, half-truths and utter nonsense

The following letter to the editor of the Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice by Diocesan publicity director, Bill Genello, is nothing more than a gross compendium of lies, half-truths and utter nonsense. As Mike Milz said when receiving the news of his termination: "anyone who believes in the Diocesan version of this matter also must believe in the tooth fairy."

Milz was not targeted for layoff by diocese

Editor:

In a letter published in your June 20 edition, Jim Maloney suggests that the elimination of Michael Milz’s teaching position at Holy Redeemer High School was unfairly contrived by the Diocese of Scranton to punish Mr. Milz for his activity on behalf of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT).

To support this false accusation, Mr. Maloney says that James Burke, human resources director for the Diocese, “guaranteed” that the hiring of teachers would be based on seniority and certification throughout the Holy Redeemer System in Luzerne County. His implication is that Mr. Milz should have been able to “bump” into a position at an elementary school if he didn’t have enough seniority at the high school.

Mr. Burke began meeting with teacher representatives in November 2006, five days after the preliminary recommendations for the school restructuring were announced. In the ensuing months, the hiring criteria were developed based on input from the teacher representatives, and one of the primary concerns of the elementary teachers was that teachers on the secondary level not be allowed to bump into their positions. The Diocese responded to this concern as the hiring policy was being developed. So while the criteria do apply within systems, they do not apply between the high schools and elementary schools. This was made clear in subsequent meetings with teacher representatives. No guarantees to the contrary were ever made by Mr. Burke or anyone else.

To be clear, this policy was established at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year and was not changed thereafter in order to exclude Mr. Milz. This is the hiring policy that was used for the 2007-08 school year, and it is the same policy that was used to determine staffing for the upcoming 2008-09 school year.

Moreover, even if there were a teaching position open in the social studies department at Holy Redeemer High School, it must be pointed out that there is another teacher with more seniority than Mr. Milz who would be eligible to fill the position.

Mr. Maloney then cites several instances of staffing at Holy Redeemer to support his assertion that the Diocese “protected” some of its friends and “isolated” Mr. Milz so he would eventually be a “target for dismissal.” But none of these examples have any relevance to Mr. Milz’ employment status.

Mr. Maloney points to the Theology Department and the fact that it includes a Chaplain and two Directors of Religious Formation. The Chaplain at each of the four Diocesan high schools is a priest who is responsible for working with the administration to foster the spiritual life of the school.

The Chaplains do not assume teaching positions that otherwise would be filled by someone else.

The role of Director of Religious Formation has been an administrative position within our high schools for over 25 years. Deacon Robert Roman was appointed DRF for Seton Catholic High School in 2002, and James McDermott was appointed DRF for Bishop Hoban High School in 2002. When those two schools were among the four institutions that formed Holy Redeemer in 2007, it was determined that both men could share the duties required of the Director of Religious Formation as well as some teaching responsibilities.The Director of Religious Formation could be a full-time position with little or no teaching responsibilities in a school of over 800 students. If this arrangement was in effect at Holy Redeemer, there would still be a need for someone to teach those six classes in the theology department.

Therefore, if Deacon Roman were not serving as a DRF, he would still be eligible to fill this teaching position according to the criteria that apply to all teachers.Mr. Maloney also charges that Deacon Roman offered to teach an elective course in criminal justice in order to “justify his employment.”As noted above, Deacon Roman would have no need to justify his employment because even if he were not a DRF he would be eligible to teach in the theology department.

Moreover, even if this one elective course was part of the social studies curriculum, it would not necessitate another teaching position there or in any other department.

So, as the diocese has stated repeatedly, Mr. Milz was not “fired” or “targeted for dismissal.”Despite the efforts of some people to perpetuate this false accusation, it is not true.

Given the negative media coverage and public backlash that the Bishop and the diocese have endured over the issue of union recognition, and now over Mr. Milz’ employment status, it would have been easier if the diocese had made some special arrangement to make sure Mr. Milz had a job. But that would have violated the hiring policy and betrayed all of the other teachers who rightfully expect us to abide by it.

The easy way is not necessarily the right way.

William R. Genello
Communications DirectorDiocese of Scranton