UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS ENDORSE SDACT CAMPAIGN

At its international convention on August 22, 2008, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) approved the following resolution:

RESOLUTION NO.36

SCRANTON DIOCESE ASSOCIATION
OF CATHOLIC TEACHERS (SDACT)
EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT

WHEREAS, The Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) has represented the teachers within the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, for over 30 years; and

WHEREAS, In January 2008, Bishop Joseph Martino of the Diocese of Scranton, after restructuring their school system, has denied recognition to SDACT as the collective bargaining unit of teachers within the Diocese; and

WHEREAS, The Scranton Diocese of Association of Catholic Teachers has been in an ongoing struggle to regain recognition before the Diocese; and

WHEREAS, SDACT is not protected under the current language of the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act; and

WHEREAS, On June 11,2008, Pennsylvania State House Bill 2626 was introduced before the State House of Representatives to amend the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act to specifically include lay teachers and employees working in religious schools; and

WHEREAS, The freedom to form or join a union is internationally recognized by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a fundamental human right; and

WHEREAS, The free choice to join with others and bargain for better wages and benefits is essential to economic opportunity and good living standards; and

WHEREAS, Unions benefit communities by strengthening living standards, promoting equal treatment and enhancing civic participation; and

WHEREAS, Workers across the nation are routinely denied the freedom to form unions and bargain for a better life; and

WHEREAS, The Employee Free Choice Act has been introduced in the United States Congress in order to restore workers’ freedom to join a union; and.

WHEREAS, The Employee Free Choice Act will safeguard workers’ ability to make their own decisions, provide for first contract mediation and arbitration, and establish meaningful penalties when employers violate workers’ rights; and.

WHEREAS, The struggle of the members of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers reaffirms the importance of the Employee Free Choice Act as a means to protect workers and their right to join a union.

THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED: That the United Food and Commercial Workers Union supports the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers and workers throughout the world in their efforts to join a union and have a voice at their workplace; and be it further

RESOLVED; That we urge the United States Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act to protect and preserve for America’s workers their freedom to choose for themselves whether or not to form a union.

Submitted by:

Local No. 1776
Plymouth Meeting, PA
Resolutions and Proposals to Amend the International Constitution