July 2008 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton edition of The Union News
Catholic teachers Union supported at rally in Wilkes-Barre
By PAUL TUCKER
theunionnewsswb@aol.com
WILKES-BARRE, June 18th- A labor rally was held on June 14th on Public Square in Downtown Wilkes-Barre to show support for the members of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) Union that the Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino refused to recognize as the teachers bargaining representative.
The union represented the teachers of ten of the fourty-two grade schools and nine of the ten high schools of the Scranton Diocese until Bishop Martino restructured the system in 2007. The system eliminated the small school boards and created four regional boards. SDACT previously had contracts with each Board of Pastors that represented each school. Mr. Martino implemented a “Employee Relations Program” eliminating the union.
The SDACT President Michael Milz, 33 year employee of the Scranton Diocese who worked as a science teacher and later a social studies teacher at Bishop Hoban High School, now called Holy Redemmer, has been laid-off and told the newspaper is looking for work.
Mr. Milz stated the SDACT has not represented the workers since August 2007, when their previous contract expired. However, some of the teachers make “voluntary” financial contributions to the union.
The SDACT now has 22 active members employed by the Diocese at St. Michael’s School in Tunkhannock. The current five year contract agreement with the Scranton Diocese will expire in August 2009.
“I’ve applied for one teaching job so-far. I’m keeping my ears open. Hopefully everything will work out fine for me,” said Mr. Milz.
On June 14th around 250 people attended the rally including many members of labor unions throughout Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties. The participates heard speeches from labor leaders, politicians and school students all critizing Mr. Martino for not allowing the union to represent the teachers.
According to Mr. Milz, Bishop Martino agreed to recognized the union as the employees bargaining representative after the restructuring took place if the union was successful in obtaining more than a majority of the employees signitures requesting union representation. However, Bishop Martino later said no to the union “card check” program, after the union obtained the signitures.
Pennsylvania State Representative, 121st Legislative District, Eddie Day Pashinski attended the rally and spoke about legislation he introduced to amend the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act to give lay teachers and employees of private, religiously affiliated schools the legal right to join a labor organization.