HB 26 Topic of Interactive TV Program

Watch the video from last night's edition of WYOU interactive by clicking this link.

Last evening, WYOU Interactive TV featured a discussion of House Bill 26. HB 26 will amend the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act to include coverage for the employees of religiously-affiliated schools. Catholic school lay teachers and other Church employees are the only group of workers who are currently not covered by federal or state labor laws. This situation is inately unfair and un-American. The passage of HB 26 will repair this unjust loophole in the existing laws.

Last week, following SDACT's rally to mark the introduction of HB 26, the Diocese released a statement saying that if the Bill was passed it would be "the end of Catholic education in Scranton." This kind of rthetoric is straight out of the union-busters playbook, and the results of an on-line poll conducted by WYOU provides evidence to show that few people bought into this Diocesan diatribe.

The poll asked the question: "Would allowing teachers to unionize in the Diocese of Scranton 'mean the end of catholic schools' in NEPA?" Here are the results of the poll:

Yes (19.5%)
No (75%)
I don't know (5.6%)

Scranton Catholic Teachers into second year of labour dispute with Bishop – no end in sight

The following article appeared in the Canadian publication, Tomorrow's Trust, A Review of Catholic Education, January 26, 2009:

Written by John Borst on January 26, 2009 – 4:58 am

Scranton Catholic Teachers into second year of labour dispute with Bishop – no end in sight

Saturday, January 24th, 2009 marked the first anniversary of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) being unilaterally shut out of their schools by the Scranton Diocesan Bishop, Joseph Martino.

To mark the occasion about 200 supporters, many from regional union locals joined a noon rally outside the Bishop’s residence to mark the one-year anniversary of the fight to unionize local Catholic school teachers.

Each marcher wore green and black arm bands. “Black was to represent mourning,” said SDACT president Michael Milz, “while green symbolizes hope.”

One sign of hope was the presence of Democratic legislators from the cities of Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, state Reps. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, and Kevin Murphy, D-Scranton. They announced that they will reintroduce House Bill 26. The bill would amend the state’s labour relations law to include employees of religiously affiliated schools.

Last year Pashinski introduced House Bill 2626 which amend the Pennsylvania Labour Relations Act to cover Catholic school teachers, giving them the chance to get the Labour Relations Board to force the diocese to hold a secret ballot vote among diocesan teachers on unionization. The Labour Relations Committee held two hearings on the bill, but no action was taken before the House recessed, effectively killing the bill in committee, hence the reintroduction as Bill 26.

Bishop Martino’s reaction was to up the rhetoric and threaten in a Saturday statement that if forced to accept a union “Make no mistake about it, if HB 26 passes, it will mean the end of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Scranton, costing local communities $73,880,400 each year to educate these students.”

Charles Schillinger of the Scranton Times reports:

Michael Milz, president of the teachers union, said the statement is not surprising, the tactic is not new. He said the diocese previously said the bill would bankrupt the diocese.

“That kind of rhetoric is despicable. That’s a typical union-busting approach to scare people away from the union,” Milz said. “We’ve been here for 30 years and we’ve never put the diocese in a financial situation where it would not be able to afford to pay (its bills).”

“Who would make demands that would put themselves out of work?” he added.

Pashinski, the main sponsor for House Bill 26, said he expects the bill to get out of committee “within weeks” and he was optimistic about it passing the state House. But neither Pashinski nor Milz showed that same amount of optimism for the bill passing the state Senate, which is dominated by Republicans.

“It’s a monumental task, getting legislation passed,” Milz acknowledged. “It’s Democrats who tend to be pro-labour.”

Diocese spokesman Bill Genello said the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference and other religious organizations and private institutions are expected to lobby against the bill. The diocese, in its statement, also said the bill would damage religious freedom and “grant a governmental agency the right to examine Church doctrines and religiously-based disciplines.” “The authorization of that type of church-state entanglement would provoke a constitutional confrontation of the first magnitude,” the statement said.

However, the diocese failed to say that the States of New York, New Jersey and Minnesota have such unionization laws in place to protect Catholic teachers and their dioceses have yet to be bankrupt by them and no one is claiming that religious freedom is damaged nor government interference in “Church doctrine” has occurred.

Interestingly, under the alternative “employee relations program” created by the diocese a year ago, just a week ago (January 15, 2009), the diocese announced it had recorded a $7 million deficit in fiscal year 2008, nearly half a million dollars more than the deficit it recorded the previous year.

This is no doubt exasperated by a November 2007 payout of $3 million to settle a sex abuse case claimed by a man who said that as a teenager he was sexually abused by one of its priests.

Martino is also in dispute with many parishioners over the closure of a number of parish churches, in particular the historic Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Perhaps it is little wonder he is still a million dollars short of his annual appeal.

Vox Populi

Below are comments made by local citizens in response to Diocesan spokesman Bill Genello's editorial concerning the looming passage of HB 26 in yesterday's Scranton Times Tribune.


Genello has been blasted before by the Times Tribune editorial staff for his "childish suggestions" about what motivates SDACT's continuing protest. In his latest screed, our teachers were chided for being "defiant." Shades of George III when hearing of the protests of his American "children" in the 1770's.

As SDACT President Mike Milz said in his remarks at this past weekend's rally, people "can always smell a phony." Bill "Roy Cohn" Genello and Joseph "McCarthy" Martino are slowly losing their grip on reality. The "Big Lie" isn't working.



Lower Luzerne Catholic wrote on Jan 25, 2009 8:30 AM:
" "Make no mistake about it, if HB 26 passes, it will mean the end of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Scranton..." Well, guess what: we have already witnessed the end of Catholic education in Hazleton with closure of schools like Bishop Hafey, and it wasn't HB 26 that did it - it was Martino. "Make no mistake about it," eliminating Catholic schools has been Martino's goal all along. Martino is what I would call a "self-fulfilling prophet" - he snivels and whines about the looming end of Catholic education, then at the same time does everything in his power to hasten that demise. He had his chance to head off HB 26, but instead chose to take an even harder line towards the union, knowing it would only hasten the bill's passage. And the bill WILL pass. Martino will have his scapegoat, and will say that it was Milz and the teachers who forced his hand. But the rest of us will know the truth, and will watch as His Arrogance, the Most Reviled "Bishop" Martino gleefully crows "I told you so" - and repeats his infamous quote "So now you see that I am a man of my word" as he smugly closes any remaining schools. "

mike wrote on Jan 25, 2009 11:47 AM:
" how dare this man who calls himself a bishop make this kind of threatening statement . what a deplorable man he is under the guise of being a shepherd of his flock . he has no right being called his excellency or most reverend . those terms do not fit the arrogance of the man "

Diocese Watcher wrote on Jan 25, 2009 11:51 AM:
" The union has been in effect until Martinos' arrival here, and the ONLY thing that has been the start of the elimination of catholic education is Martino himself. He started this whole mess, now let him live with it. "

John wrote on Jan 25, 2009 1:39 PM:
" Wow, who does Martino think he is? He has become an embarrassment to the entire Catholic community and he needs to go, now. I still cannot believe this man is still head of the diocese. He has alienated a lot church goers. No wonder why the diocese was in the red for 7 million last year. What will he do next? You cannot negotiate with this man. Bishop Martino, please resign, the diocese will be a lot better without you here. You have made a mockery out of this area and yourself. "

One year later, struggle goes on

The following article appeared in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, January 25, 2009:

One year later, struggle goes on

More than 200 supporters, many from regional union locals, joined a noon rally outside Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino’s residence to mark the one-year anniversary of the fight to unionize local Catholic school teachers. Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers President Michael Milz handed out green and black arm bands.

“Black is the color of mourning, and without a doubt we are here for that sorrowful purpose,” Milz said, repeating the claim that Martino rejected more than a century of Catholic Church support for organized labor when he rejected the request to unionize.

“Yes, there are many reasons for us to be mournful today,” Milz said, but “there is still hope all can yet be made right. Green, the other color on your arm bands, symbolizes that hope.”

Milz introduced state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, who last year introduced House Bill 2626. It would amend the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act to cover Catholic school teachers, giving them the chance to get the Labor Relations Board to force the diocese to hold a secret ballot vote among diocesan teachers on unionization.

The Labor Relations Committee held two hearings on the bill, but no action was taken before the House recessed, effectively killing the bill in committee. Pashinski announced it is being reintroduced as House Bill 26. He said he is seeking new co-sponsors, that no more hearings are necessary, and that the bill would almost certainly be moved out of committee and up for a House vote within “weeks.”

Pashinski recounted his days as a student in Catholic schools and his excitement when he was old enough to get his own envelopes to put into Church collection baskets. He said the decision to reject unionization was “focusing on a tiny problem. We have a much bigger problem. No one is coming to church. Why? It’s not the same church I remember, it’s not the same church you remember.”

“You’re not asking for something unreasonable,” Pashinski said, “you’re just asking for a place at the table.”

The diocese posted a response on its Web site, repeating its claim that the union would bankrupt the school system and that the “Employee Relations Program” put in place represents all school employees fairly.

“Make no mistake about it,” the statement said, “if HB 26 passes, it will mean the end of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Scranton, costing local communities $73,880,400 each year to educate these students.

Sorrow and hope mark themes of SDACT rally

SDACT President, Mike Milz, made the following remarks during yesterday's rally to mark the introduction of Pennsylvania House Bill 26 before the General Assembly.

"As you know, we have asked you to wear the armbands that we distributed today. The colors of those armbands – black and green – are appropriate to the purposes that mark this rally today.

First the black. Everyone knows that black is the color of mourning, and without a doubt we are here for that sorrowful purpose. My teacher colleagues and I are only one of the groups here to mourn. We are here to mourn the loss of our rights, for it was exactly one year ago today that the person who lives in the house directly behind us, Bishop Joseph Martino, decided that the more than one hundred years of Catholic teaching in support of the right to organize was nothing more than words on paper. He announced that after 30 years of successful collaboration between our teachers’ association and the Diocese’s Catholic schools he would no longer recognize our teachers’ right to be represented by a union of their own choosing.

With us here to mourn for their own reasons are our many friends from the labor community and others who believe in the cause of social justice. They are here to mourn the loss and betrayal of labor’s once-staunch ally. For anyone who knows the labor history of Northeastern Pennsylvania knows that it had been the Catholic Church in Scranton which had stood side by side with the area’s working people in their struggles to organize and achieve social justice.

More troublesome is the fact that over the past year, not only has the Church in Scranton abandoned the cause of labor, but it has taken to using the tactics of the most vicious anti-union employers. The Bishop has attacked the leaders of our teachers, calling them manipulative, selfish and greedy. He has said that unions no longer serve a place in the modern economy. He has charged that having a union will bankrupt the schools, the typical ploy used by anti-union firms. He has intimidated teachers who support our cause and fired those in our union leadership. Finally, he has established a company union, something which would be illegal in any other work place in America. Wal-Mart and other union busting businesses can learn a lot from Bishop Martino.

Here also to mourn with us are our many supporters who are parents with children enrolled in our Catholic schools. They are here to mourn the fact that each day their sons and daughters are exposed to blatant hypocrisy. Catholic elementary students who are required to learn their catechism are instructed that “if the dignity of work is to be protected, then the rights of workers to organize and join unions must be respected.” Those in their senior year in high school must complete a theology class on the Church and social justice. There, they read the pastoral letter of the nation’s bishops on the economy which states that “no one can deny the right to organize without attacking human dignity itself.” Anyone who has been a teacher even for a short period knows you can’t fool kids. They can smell a phony. Bishop Martino’s actions make a mockery of their theology lessons.

Yes, there are many reasons for us to be mournful today. However, the other purpose for which we are gathered is to show that, regardless of the setbacks we have suffered, there is still hope all can yet be made right. Green, the other color on your armbands, symbolizes that hope.

Today we are announcing the introduction of House Bill 26 in the House of Representatives of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The exact same bill had been introduced in the last legislative session, which then expired before any action could be taken. With the continuing support of Catholic school teachers across PA, along with the ongoing help of our friends in the labor community and all in the general community who support social justice, we know our campaign for the bill’s passage will not fail.

The employees of religiously-affiliated schools remain the only PA workers not covered by federal or state labor laws. There is something innately wrong and un-American in that. The nation’s laws should apply equally to all Americans. No one should be forced to accept second-class citizenship just because they choose to work for a religious entity.

HB 26 will correct this current injustice. With your help, we will overcome this current and tragic state of affairs. We hope we can continue to count on your support. If we do not stand together now, we will become silent accomplices to an act which denies basic human rights to a group of Americans. The armbands we wear today are green and black, but the choice we must make is black and white."


(Below: Representatives Eddie Day Pashinski and Kevin Murphy pledge their support and sponsorship of Pennsylvania House Bill 26 at SDACT rally.)

Self-inflicted wounds cause diocese to have problems

The following letter to the editor of the Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice appeared on January 23, 2009:

Self-inflicted wounds cause diocese to have problems

Editor:

Jan. 24 marks a shameful anniversary for the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Scranton. Bishop Martino’s unjust decision not to allow Catholic lay teachers the right to organize (after he had promised to do so in the diocesan newspaper) will be one year old. I, along with many others, believe such an event points to a much deeper and systemic problem in the diocese.

It’s really not surprising that area churches are closing at a disturbing rate, and that the diocese has recently announced that it has tremendous financial problems. Church membership, once thriving, has fallen to all-time lows. While the easy answer to the question of why this situation has come to pass is demographics, a more accurate analysis points to self-inflicted wounds. Take a look around you when you next attend Mass. Not only are there fewer and fewer heads to be counted, but those same heads are more likely to be gray and bald. Anyone who has attended Mass outside this diocese while on vacation or a business trip will notice a stark difference.

In its response to this downward spiral, the diocese is treating symptoms rather than causes. The sad truth is that the bishop’s behavior has made a bad situation worse. An institution that perverts its own social justice teaching cannot continue to sustain itself in the eyes of its followers.

Unfortunately, Bishop Martino still looks upon his flock from the perspective of a 14th century pulpit. He doesn’t seem to understand (or to care) that the “pay, pray and obey” Catholics in the diocese represent only a sliver of the population of the faithful. He also seems indifferent to the fact that his arrogant, condescending attitude has exacerbated and accelerated the departure of those outside that element.

And there exists no process (forget about appealing to the Vatican in this old boys’ network) to force the Bishop to cease and desist when he tramples on church teaching, or to remove him from office. The hierarchical structure of the Roman Catholic Church is anathema to such necessary change. When the church does address a mistake, it is a dollar short and 400 years late. Consider as an example the church’s recent reversal of Galileo’s excommunication and arrest for stating that the sun was the center of the solar system. Perhaps in the 25th century the diocese will offer Mike Milz (the teachers’ union president fired for his union activity) his teaching position back.

Because it refuses to obey and follow its own dicta, the only method of redress falls to Catholics of conscience. Such people must begin to assert their standing as the church. Haven’t we been told repeatedly that we are the church? God knows parishioners can’t look for help from their parish priests, most of whom admit privately that they disagree with the bishop’s policies, but that they feel powerless and fearful of retribution. Most agree that only the bishop’s departure from Scranton will help resolve most of the diocese’s woes.

However, there is one avenue where the community can immediately right the most despicable of Bishop Martino’s wrongs. Pennsylvania House Bill 26 (which will provide the employees of religiously-affiliated schools the protection of the labor laws) is now before the general assembly for consideration. Visit, phone, write or e-mail your state representatives and senators. Tell them that the bishop does not speak for Catholics in the political realm. They must not mistakenly assume that a vote for HB 26 will cost them votes from the Catholic community. It does not, as the bishop now claims, “cross the line separating church and state.” To the contrary, informed Catholics see the bill for what it really is — a simple extension of basic human rights denied to Catholic lay teachers because of a legal loophole in need of closing. A loophole being exploited by a powerful man who has lost his way.

If the Bishop refuses to do God’s work, God’s people must.

James W. Lynch
Wilkes-Barre

Diocesan teachers plan to mark anniversary of bishop’s decision

The following article appeared in the Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice, January 23, 2009. Similar stories appeared in the Scranton Times Tribune and the Hazleton Standard Speaker:

Diocesan teachers plan to mark anniversary of bishop’s decision

Rallies, sickouts and national attention have done nothing to sway Bishop Joseph F. Martino.

It has been one year since the Diocese of Scranton announced it would not recognize its teachers union as a collective bargaining unit. Diocesan teachers remain without official union representation, but even after a year of rejection, vow to change that.

“I never thought things would take on the dynamics that they did,” Michael Milz, union president, said. “We were hoping that just the fact so many people opposed what the bishop did, he would change his decision … obviously, that never happened.”

Teachers and their supporters will mark Saturday’s anniversary by holding a rally outside St. Peter’s Cathedral on Wyoming Avenue at noon. Milz said he expects turnout from local labor groups, teachers and parents, but expects cold weather to keep some people away.

Instead of recognizing the union, the diocese has created an employee relations program. According to a statement issued by the diocese Thursday, 26 of 28 diocesan schools are participating and issues addressed include wages, benefits, leave, pension and tuition reimbursement. A teacher contract is close to being finalized, according to the diocese.

The teachers union had previously been recognized within the diocese on a school-by-school basis, but after the diocese reorganized its school system, the diocese as a whole had to grant recognition.

Teachers have said that without a union, they have no job security and are at the “will” of their employer. The diocese has stated that the union has had a detrimental effect on Catholic education.

The past year has been full of changes for Milz, who remains as union president although he no longer is a history teacher at Holy Redeemer High School.The 34-year employee of the diocese claims he was unjustly terminated in June, while the diocese has maintained he was laid off. He is now a field representative with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO.

Much of Milz’s time recently has been spent working to garner support for legislation to amend the state’s labor relations law to include employees of religiously affiliated schools. The bill was introduced late in the last session of the legislature and the session expired before action could be taken. The bill will be reintroduced at Saturday’s rally, and the diocese opposes it because it “will compromise the religious character of Catholic schools in direct violation of the constitutional separation between church and state,” according to the statement.

The issue in Scranton has many Catholic teachers in the state wondering if the same thing could happen to their unions, said Rita C. Schwartz, president of the National Association of Catholic School Teachers,“It certainly has made us very sad that our church and that a bishop of our church has so devastated the social justice teaching,” she said. “We want to try to fix up what happened in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre and make sure it doesn’t happen to any other teacher.”

By the book

The following letter to the editor of the Scranton Times Tribune appeared January 23, 2009:

By the book

Editor:

In a Jan. 16 letter regarding the state of our Catholic diocese, Ted Prusinski used my name several times as the lone voice of opposition to the bishop. I wrote a letter in response to one from a gentleman who believed that, if you questioned the bishop, you had no place in our local churches.

Mr. Prusinski questions my ability to teach catechism and insults the content of the materials. He practically accuses me of using a CCD classroom to push a political agenda that is non-Catholic. This is beyond offensive, as I only use the text I am provided by the Scranton Diocese. In it, there are chapters, and an entire section: “What Every Catholic Should Know.” I use one chapter and one piece of that section per class. One of those excerpts addresses the exact Catholic position on the formation of unions. He suggests anyone with a different opinion about our local diocese needs “to do some research,” but how do you insult dissenters when they have done the research?

To deny that there is a problem in our local diocese might work for these gentlemen. And it might work for others who truly believe that the people who care enough about what is happening here, and who question it, are the real problem.

I am saddened by the closings, by the mass exodus of my friends and family members from the Catholic churches in Scranton. I care enough about it to try to understand it. And I will continue to defend people who get slammed in print for questioning this regime, often at my own personal expense.

Our churches should be places of comfort. That has not been the case recently. I’ll close with what I often tell my CCD kids: Jesus would never tell anyone she was not welcome in his father’s house. And none of us should, either.

Jen Edsell
Scranton

RALLY TO SUPPORT SDACT

RALLY TO SUPPORT SDACT

DATE: SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2009

TIME: 12 NOON

PLACE: ST. PETER'S CATHEDRAL, WYOMING AVENUE, SCRANTON, PA

January 24, 2009 will mark the one year anniversary of Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino’s decision to deny the teachers in his employ the right to organize. Such a decision was a betrayal of the more than century-old position of the Catholic Church which supports and encourages the right of working people to form unions. Loss of such a once-staunch ally as the Catholic Church has been seen across our state and the entire nation as a severe blow to all who support the cause of social justice.

The Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) is requesting the participation of those members of the community who support social justice and the right to organize to join in an important rally that will be held on Saturday, January 24, 2009, at 12:00 PM in front of St. Peter’s Cathedral, Wyoming Avenue, Scranton.

In 1986, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced in their pastoral letter that "No one may deny the right to organize without attacking human dignity itself." And, the United Nations has proclaimed that ”the right to organize is a fundamental human right.” We hope all who agree with such noble sentiments will come out and voice their opposition to Bishop Martino’s misguided and callous policies, and to demonstrate their support for the ongoing struggle of the SDACT to obtain justice and dignity for Scranton Diocesan lay teachers.

The rally is also being held to announce the introduction of Pennsylvania House Bill 26 (HB 26) which will amend the PA Labor Relations Act to include the employees of religiously-affiliated schools. Catholic school teachers and all other employees of religiously-affiliated schools are the only Pennsylvania workers who are not covered under the existing federal and state labor laws. The Bill (formerly HB 2626) to amend the PLRA was introduced late in the last session of the legislature, but that session expired before any action could be taken.

For additional information, call 570-969-7889.

Catholic teachers to hold rally

The following article appeared in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, January 9, 2009:

Rally to support unionization to be held Jan. 24 outside St. Peter’s Cathedral.

SCRANTON – The Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers plans to rally Jan. 24 outside St. Peter’s Cathedral to mark the one-year anniversary of its fight to unionize local Catholic school teachers.

The rally will be held one year to the day after the diocese announced, through its paper, The Catholic Light, that newly formed regional school boards had rejected the association’s request to represent teachers.

Many local Catholic school teachers had been members of the association before a restructuring that eliminated the smaller local boards the union had negotiated with.

The union responded with a rapid succession of informational pickets, rallies, one-day teacher sick-outs at selected schools, public meetings and an appeal to the Vatican to overturn Bishop Joseph Martino’s decision. Martino insisted the move was final and that a newly implemented Employee Relations Program will represent all school employees fairly.

The two sides traded accusations. Association President Michael Milz insists he was fired from his job as a teacher at Holy Redeemer High School as a result of his union activity and that the diocese tried to mask its motives by unnecessarily firing other teachers at the same time.

The diocese counters that Milz was laid off with other teachers because of reduced enrollment and according to seniority. The union has accused the diocese of violating Church teaching on unionization; the diocese contends the union misrepresents those teachings.

Union activity died down in the summer after state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, introduced a bill into the House Labor Relations Committee that would amend the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act so it explicitly covered Catholic school teachers.

The state Supreme Court has ruled the law as written does not cover the teachers. The U.S. Supreme Court made a similar ruling on the National Labor Relations Act.

Two committee hearings – one in Wilkes-Barre – were held on the proposal, dubbed House Bill 2626, but the 2008 legislative session ended before the committee held a vote to move it to the full House.

Milz said the bill will be reintroduced shortly in the new session, probably renumbered House Bill 26. The House is set to reconvene Jan. 26.

Milz said the Jan. 24 rally is tentatively set for noon.

Newspaper names Michael Milz their "Person of the Year"

The following article appeared in the January, 2009 edition of The Union News:

By PAUL TUCKER
theunionnewsswb@aol.com

REGION, December 31st- On December 28th the Wilkes-Barre Citizens’ Voice daily newspaper in Luzerne County announced Michael Milz was named their "2008 Person of the Year."

Mr. Milz is the President of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) Union, in Dunmore. The union represented the teachers of seventeen of the fourty-two grade schools and nine of the ten high schools of the Scranton Diocese until Bishop Martino restructured the system in 2007. The new system eliminated the small school boards and created four regional boards.

SDACT previously had contracts with each Board of Pastors that represented each school. Bishop Martino implemented a "Employee Relations Program," which busted the union. Mr. Milz said the Scranton Diocese teachers now have what could be called a "company union," similar to what the coal barons had throughout the region before the United Mine Workers of America Union became the miners bargaining representative.
SDACT has not represented the workers since August 2007, when their previous contract expired. SDACT now has 22 active members employed by the Diocese at St. Michael’s School in Tunkhannock. The current five year contract agreement with the Scranton Diocese will expire in August 2009.

The Citizens’ Voice asked their readers to select who they believed was the person of the year of 2008 by voting online. The voting began on November 30th, 2008. The newspaper reported Mr. Milz received the most votes of the ten people that the editors of the newspaper nominated. All online voting was concluded by December 14th, 2008.

According to James Gittens, Editorial Page Editor of the Citizens’ Voice, the "Person of the Year" is intended to ackowledge someone that had a positive impact on the Wyoming Valley.

Only the second year of the award, last year the newspaper named Rabbi Larry Kaplan as the winner for his continued foster parenting with the Luzerne County Children and Youth Services.

Mr. Milz said he was honored to receive the award but wanted to express his pleasure not for himself receiving the "Person of the Year" but because a labor leader was recognized, something Mr. Mitz stated doesn’t happen everyday. Mr. Milz was the only labor leader nominated by the Citizens’ Voice to be considered for the award.

Mr. Milz was a 33 year employee of the Scranton Diocese, who worked as a science teacher and later a social studies teacher at Bishop Hoban High School in Wilkes-Barre, now called Holly Redeemer. He was a vocal critic against Bishop Martino’s plan to bust the union and was laid-off by the Scranton Diocese during the summer of 2008.

He is currently employed by the Northeastern Area Labor Federation (ALF) in Dunmore, which is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) labor federation.

The union recently received four new awards that require the Diocese of Scranton to pay former union members money owed under the terms and conditions of the previous contract agreement between the SDACT and the employer.

The lastest decisions involve teachers employed at the former Bishop O’Reilly Junior High School, Bishop O’Reilly Senior High School in Kingston; Bishop Neumann High School in Williamsport and St. Vincent’s Elementary School in Honesdale.

Former Bishop O’Reilly Senior teachers will receive 1 month salary and $45.00 for every unused sick day which will cost the Diocese of Scranton approximately $88,000.

Teachers affected at the former Bishop O’Reilly Junior High School will receive 1 month salary, plus $20.00 for every unused sick day for a approximate financial cost to the Diocese of Scranton of $25,000.

Bishop Neumann teachers will receive $1,500 each that will cost the employer around $18,000. St. Vincent’s teachers will receive on average $625.00 each for a approximate cost to the Diocese of Scranton of $5,000.

Michael Milz estimates the overall costs to the Scranton Diocese for their failure to pay union teachers what was owed to them under the previous contract agreement could be more than $2 million.

The arbitrators award requires the Scranton Diocese to pay the teachers the money owed to them for accumulated sick leave and severance pay when their employment with the smaller school system was terminated.

Disagrees, still Catholic

The following letter to the editor of the Scranton Times Tribune appeared January 5, 2009:

Disagrees, still Catholic

Editor:

In his Jan. 2 letter defending Bishop Joseph Martino, Jeffrey McHale says people who do not agree with him are Catholics who went to church on Sunday then “forgot about God the rest of the week.” He says that they “ignore everything that Christ and his church teaches.”

I am a Catholic who has an enormous problem with the turn our local diocese has taken in recent years. And just because I do not like the current administration, does not mean I’m less Catholic during Bishop Martino’s reign. I didn’t agree with the atrocity that is George W. Bush, either, and I’m just as American as I’ve ever been.

This is one man’s interpretation of Catholicism. I cannot imagine as I teach CCD to children, and read to them the Catholic Church’s exact position on the formation of unions, that I’m not sending the correct message. I cannot believe that anyone in the church would be speaking for Jesus when they said that if you voted for a Democrat, you are not welcome in his father’s house.

I cannot accept that as Bishop Martino neglected to comfort children displaced from their schools and their churches that he was doing God’s work. And I just do not believe that Republicans, as a party, save lives.

I do not expect perfection from Bishop Martino, he is a human being. This bishop needs to be reminded of that, somehow. He has opinions, sometimes they jive with modern-day Catholicism, and too many times, they do not.

Many of my friends leave the Catholic Church because of him. I attended Catholic schools from age 5 until 23. I know Bishop Martino’s way is not the only way to be a good Catholic. I know far too many priests, nuns and deacons who disagree with the way he is representing Catholicism. These are people who know what it means to be a good Catholic.

Blind faith is unchallenged faith. I suggest Mr. McHale and others who look but might not see, decide exactly what they believe about Bishop Martino’s message. Then feel free to attack my ideals as a Catholic, who is patiently waiting for the changing of the guard.

JEN EDSELL
SCRANTON