Catholic school teachers keeping their options open
The following appeared in the latest issue of the Honesdale Weekly Almanac:
Catholic school teachers keeping their options open
Teachers at St. Vincent’s School in Honesdale have no immediate plans to strike or stage a “sickout” as Catholic school teachers have in other parts of the Scranton Diocese have, but a local job-action remains an option if the teachers’ union stalemate isn’t broken soon.
The situation at issue is a dispute between The Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) and the Diocese itself, headed by Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino. The Bishop announced in January that the Diocese would not recognize the union.
Last month Michael A. Milz, president of SDACT, came to Honesdale to meet with the teachers and parents of St. Vincent’s School. Earlier in March, approximately 750 people packed a ballroom at Genetti’s in Wilkes-Barre to hear a presentation by Mr. Milz. In the audience were a small number of parents from St. Vincent’s who felt other parents from the Honesdale school would benefit from a similar presentation closer to home.
SDACT, an association of Catholic school lay teachers with 385 members, is affiliated with the National Association of Catholic School Teachers. Although SDACT was founded in 1978 with the cooperation of Bishop John Joseph O’Connor, who was then the head of the Scranton Diocese, the current Bishop, who was installed in 2003, has created an employee relations program to replace it.
About 40 of the 130 families with children enrolled at St. Vincent’s were represented at the Honesdale meeting, which was held at the Wayne County Public Library. Eight of the school’s 12 teachers also attended. “To a person,” Mr. Milz said afterward, “every parent there was supportive of our cause.”
This was confirmed by April Rogers, treasurer of St. Vincent’s Parent-Student Association, who said her organization met to discuss the issue, and no member was opposed to the union.
The attendees were given printouts of the PowerPoint slides that were shown in Wilkes-Barre. The information contained in the presentation pointed out the sharp contrast between Bishop Martino’s position and the Catholic Church’s long history of supporting labor unions.
Quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Vatican II’s Pastoral Constitution and the writings of Popes Leo XIII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, all included in the printouts, illustrate the Church’s historical and current defense and approval of workers organizing.
”The Bishop’s position is completely contrary to where the church has been,” Mr. Milz said. “That’s why the support has been so solidly behind us.”
Commenting on recent reports that SDACT had submitted the dispute to the Congregation for Catholic Education in Vatican City for resolution, Mr. Milz said that step has been blown out of proportion.
”This is not all that uncommon a practice,” he said. He explained that any person who feels that a Bishop’s decree is contrary to Canon Law (the law of the Church) may appeal that decree by contacting one of the various Congregations (departments) in Rome.
”They get these things all the time, so it’s not a big deal, to tell you the truth,” Mr. Milz said. “Nor do we expect it to be the thing that’s going to resolve our current situation.”
The Diocese of Scranton encompasses 199 parishes with 28 Catholic schools. William Genello, spokesman for the Diocese, said the Bishop’s responsibility is to preserve Catholic education in the Diocese and to manage the Catholic schools accordingly.
Referring to Bishop Martino, Mr. Genello said, “He believes that it is in the best interests of Catholic education throughout the Diocese to dialog with teachers through the employee relations program that we have established.”
Mr. Genello explained that the employee relations program gives each school the opportunity to elect representatives of both teachers and support staff and enables school employees to meet with the Diocese to discuss wages, benefits, grievances and working conditions.
”The union is insisting that their organization is the only way to ensure fair treatment of the teachers,” he said. “The Diocese believes that the union is not the only way to accomplish this, and that it can be accomplished, and will be accomplished, through this employee relations program.”
Mr. Genello made it clear that the Diocese’s decision is final.
”This dispute is not productive,” he said, “and it’s only causing division in the Diocese.” He said the Diocese is asking everyone to give their established employee relations program a chance to work rather than opposing it. He added that the program has held several meetings already, and most of the schools were represented.
”So the fact is, it’s moving forward despite opposition from the union,” he said.
Looking ahead, Mr. Milz said, “Our overall plan is to build community support, and that’s building. If we had to gauge it, we think it’s running 100 to 1 in our favor.” He said the parents group gets larger every day. The organization has an alumni group as well. Both are writing letters to the Bishop and to the Papal Nuncio, above the Bishop in the chain of command to the Pope. SDACT’s petition to the Pope has “tens of thousands of signatures,” Mr. Milz said.
”We continue to believe that the Bishop’s made a bad decision for Catholic education and for the community,” he said. Therefore, his organization’s supporters will continue to do whatever they can to get the Bishop’s decision reversed. In addition to letter writing and the petition, SDACT’s efforts in this direction include selective strikes — work stoppages and sickouts.
”If we cannot reach the Bishop in any other way,” Mr. Milz said, “we always have the right to strike.” He added, “We’re hoping to avoid that.”
In recent weeks picketing took place at Holy Cross in Dunmore, as well as schools in Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport union supporters held a picket outside the chancery in Scranton. According to Mr. Milz, it was attended by over 150 teachers, many from Honesdale.
SDACT had planned a bus trip to New York City on April 19 to coincide with Pope Benedict’s visit, but it was cancelled. “Security restrictions would not allow us access to the area we originally had a permit for,” Mr. Milz explained.
Catholic school teachers keeping their options open
Teachers at St. Vincent’s School in Honesdale have no immediate plans to strike or stage a “sickout” as Catholic school teachers have in other parts of the Scranton Diocese have, but a local job-action remains an option if the teachers’ union stalemate isn’t broken soon.
The situation at issue is a dispute between The Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) and the Diocese itself, headed by Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino. The Bishop announced in January that the Diocese would not recognize the union.
Last month Michael A. Milz, president of SDACT, came to Honesdale to meet with the teachers and parents of St. Vincent’s School. Earlier in March, approximately 750 people packed a ballroom at Genetti’s in Wilkes-Barre to hear a presentation by Mr. Milz. In the audience were a small number of parents from St. Vincent’s who felt other parents from the Honesdale school would benefit from a similar presentation closer to home.
SDACT, an association of Catholic school lay teachers with 385 members, is affiliated with the National Association of Catholic School Teachers. Although SDACT was founded in 1978 with the cooperation of Bishop John Joseph O’Connor, who was then the head of the Scranton Diocese, the current Bishop, who was installed in 2003, has created an employee relations program to replace it.
About 40 of the 130 families with children enrolled at St. Vincent’s were represented at the Honesdale meeting, which was held at the Wayne County Public Library. Eight of the school’s 12 teachers also attended. “To a person,” Mr. Milz said afterward, “every parent there was supportive of our cause.”
This was confirmed by April Rogers, treasurer of St. Vincent’s Parent-Student Association, who said her organization met to discuss the issue, and no member was opposed to the union.
The attendees were given printouts of the PowerPoint slides that were shown in Wilkes-Barre. The information contained in the presentation pointed out the sharp contrast between Bishop Martino’s position and the Catholic Church’s long history of supporting labor unions.
Quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Vatican II’s Pastoral Constitution and the writings of Popes Leo XIII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, all included in the printouts, illustrate the Church’s historical and current defense and approval of workers organizing.
”The Bishop’s position is completely contrary to where the church has been,” Mr. Milz said. “That’s why the support has been so solidly behind us.”
Commenting on recent reports that SDACT had submitted the dispute to the Congregation for Catholic Education in Vatican City for resolution, Mr. Milz said that step has been blown out of proportion.
”This is not all that uncommon a practice,” he said. He explained that any person who feels that a Bishop’s decree is contrary to Canon Law (the law of the Church) may appeal that decree by contacting one of the various Congregations (departments) in Rome.
”They get these things all the time, so it’s not a big deal, to tell you the truth,” Mr. Milz said. “Nor do we expect it to be the thing that’s going to resolve our current situation.”
The Diocese of Scranton encompasses 199 parishes with 28 Catholic schools. William Genello, spokesman for the Diocese, said the Bishop’s responsibility is to preserve Catholic education in the Diocese and to manage the Catholic schools accordingly.
Referring to Bishop Martino, Mr. Genello said, “He believes that it is in the best interests of Catholic education throughout the Diocese to dialog with teachers through the employee relations program that we have established.”
Mr. Genello explained that the employee relations program gives each school the opportunity to elect representatives of both teachers and support staff and enables school employees to meet with the Diocese to discuss wages, benefits, grievances and working conditions.
”The union is insisting that their organization is the only way to ensure fair treatment of the teachers,” he said. “The Diocese believes that the union is not the only way to accomplish this, and that it can be accomplished, and will be accomplished, through this employee relations program.”
Mr. Genello made it clear that the Diocese’s decision is final.
”This dispute is not productive,” he said, “and it’s only causing division in the Diocese.” He said the Diocese is asking everyone to give their established employee relations program a chance to work rather than opposing it. He added that the program has held several meetings already, and most of the schools were represented.
”So the fact is, it’s moving forward despite opposition from the union,” he said.
Looking ahead, Mr. Milz said, “Our overall plan is to build community support, and that’s building. If we had to gauge it, we think it’s running 100 to 1 in our favor.” He said the parents group gets larger every day. The organization has an alumni group as well. Both are writing letters to the Bishop and to the Papal Nuncio, above the Bishop in the chain of command to the Pope. SDACT’s petition to the Pope has “tens of thousands of signatures,” Mr. Milz said.
”We continue to believe that the Bishop’s made a bad decision for Catholic education and for the community,” he said. Therefore, his organization’s supporters will continue to do whatever they can to get the Bishop’s decision reversed. In addition to letter writing and the petition, SDACT’s efforts in this direction include selective strikes — work stoppages and sickouts.
”If we cannot reach the Bishop in any other way,” Mr. Milz said, “we always have the right to strike.” He added, “We’re hoping to avoid that.”
In recent weeks picketing took place at Holy Cross in Dunmore, as well as schools in Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport union supporters held a picket outside the chancery in Scranton. According to Mr. Milz, it was attended by over 150 teachers, many from Honesdale.
SDACT had planned a bus trip to New York City on April 19 to coincide with Pope Benedict’s visit, but it was cancelled. “Security restrictions would not allow us access to the area we originally had a permit for,” Mr. Milz explained.
posted by SDACT at
7:49 AM
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