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.
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.
posted by SDACT at
6:56 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home