Teachers invite officials to June 14 rally

From the Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice. May 23, 2008

Jim Maloney, a teacher at Holy Redeemer High School and a member of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers, attended the Wilkes-Barre City Council meeting Thursday night to invite city officials and the public to attend a rally June 14 at 1 p.m. on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. 

“The rally is being held to support our rights as teachers to form a union,” Maloney said. 

Maloney thanked Mayor Tom Leighton, city council and special events coordinator Lore Majikes for making the rally possible.

After the meeting, Maloney would not provide further information about a press conference scheduled today at 3:15 p.m. outside Holy Redeemer High School, but he said he expects a big crowd at the upcoming rally.

“We know people are coming from Philadelphia and maybe Pittsburgh and from other unions that are in the same predicament we are in,” Maloney said.

“We have a lot of community support from parents, students, businesses and government officials, but we have yet to convince the bishop (Joseph F. Martino) to take another look at it and change his mind.