SDACT union successful with favorable arbitration awards
The following article appeared in the December issue of The Union News:
Arbitration wins are mounting for the union that once represented teachers employed by the Diocese of Scranton.
According to Michael Milz, President of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) Union, 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.
In the previous edition of the newspaper, it was reported the union, which represented most of the teachers of the Diocese of Scranton, won a major arbitration award that could cost them nearly $725,000. The union received the arbitrator award that will require 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.
The union represented the teachers of seventeen of the fourty-two grade schools and nine of the ten high schoo1s 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 Joseph 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 Union became the miners bargaining representative.
Between May and September, 2008 arbitration hearings were conducted and on September 3rd the first arbitration award was handed down that affected the teachers once employed at Bishop Hoban in Wilkes-Bane. The arbitration ruling ordered the employer to pay $725,000 in back payment for the sick leave days not used by fourty SDACT members employed at Bishop Hoban which includes Mr. Milz.
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 cunent five year contract agreement with the Scranton Diocese will expire in August 2009.
All hearings are being conducted by arbitrators affiliated with the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
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-Bane, now called Holly Redeemer. He is cunently 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).
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.
Mr. Milz stated, 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 I 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.
Mr. Milz stated following receipt of the arbitrator’s rulings the employers were asked to pay the awards according to the verdicts so rendered. As of press time, December 8th, there has not been any response from the Diocese of Scranton about those requests for payment.
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.
A ruling from the arbitration held ivolving the teachers employed at the former Bishop Hafey High School in Hazleton is expected before Christmas.
Arbitration wins are mounting for the union that once represented teachers employed by the Diocese of Scranton.
According to Michael Milz, President of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) Union, 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.
In the previous edition of the newspaper, it was reported the union, which represented most of the teachers of the Diocese of Scranton, won a major arbitration award that could cost them nearly $725,000. The union received the arbitrator award that will require 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.
The union represented the teachers of seventeen of the fourty-two grade schools and nine of the ten high schoo1s 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 Joseph 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 Union became the miners bargaining representative.
Between May and September, 2008 arbitration hearings were conducted and on September 3rd the first arbitration award was handed down that affected the teachers once employed at Bishop Hoban in Wilkes-Bane. The arbitration ruling ordered the employer to pay $725,000 in back payment for the sick leave days not used by fourty SDACT members employed at Bishop Hoban which includes Mr. Milz.
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 cunent five year contract agreement with the Scranton Diocese will expire in August 2009.
All hearings are being conducted by arbitrators affiliated with the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
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-Bane, now called Holly Redeemer. He is cunently 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).
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.
Mr. Milz stated, 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 I 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.
Mr. Milz stated following receipt of the arbitrator’s rulings the employers were asked to pay the awards according to the verdicts so rendered. As of press time, December 8th, there has not been any response from the Diocese of Scranton about those requests for payment.
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.
A ruling from the arbitration held ivolving the teachers employed at the former Bishop Hafey High School in Hazleton is expected before Christmas.
posted by SDACT at
9:34 AM
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