Simple solution: close all the schools and put all 700 of those unionists out of work.
Then encourage parents to take over the schools as private independent institutions and hire only those Catholic teachers who conform to parental expectations. The buildings can simply be leased out to the private independent schools for $1 / year.
These schools could use the word “Catholic” in their name as long as the Archbishop is assured that they reflect Catholic values and teaching. If not, they lose the right to be called Catholic and the lease expires after the current school year.
Problem solved.
i like your ideas!
“subcontract” the schools out.
there are a LOT of unemployed people, with good experience, who’d do a good job of teaching, without
“demand salary increases of 14.5 percent”
that’s just insane, in the current economy.
almost like most of these teachers, and their union leadership, WANT the catholic schools to shut down...
I am a Catholic High School teacher in NYC and am part of a union that represents Parish High School Teachers and Elementary School Teachers. Currently, we are working without a contract as we have done several times in the past, while negotiations take place. It is a very difficult environment as scores of NYC Catholic Schools have closed over the past few years due to the economy, rising fuel costs, rising insurance costs, rising health care costs, and the fact that liberals have continually squashed any attempt to approve a voucher program.
I teach in an all boys school where 40 % of the students live in the poorest Congressional District in the United States. The class of 2011 had a 99% graduation rate with a full REGENTS diploma. That’s more than twice the percentage than the NYC Public School system. The annual per student cost for a NYC Public HS student is over $18,000. Ours is about half that. The top pay for a Catholic HS school teacher, Masters + 30 credits and 17 years experience is $60,000 per year. The top Public School pay is more than double that.
We know about the pay issues going in. I can’t speak for Public School Teachers, but what we do in Catholic School is truly a calling to educate young men academically and help them in their spiritual growth. We truly educate the entire student. Our union has never walked out and I don’t honestly know if I could. A different Catholic HS union walked two years ago and the union was broken. I’m quite sure that posters would understand the frustration when the Archdiocese of New York’s proposals start with a 0 % raise and an increase in health care contributions.
These are tough times. Please pray that we work all this out and I ask that you not be so judgemental of Catholic School unions. We don’t have anyone in rubber rooms. We don’t have anyone not working and getting paid. As I stated, our union exists to negotiate contracts, handle health care coverage, pensions, and to provide representation in cases of serious problems between teachers and administration or teachers and students. The days of handling these issues as individuals are long gone. I hope that the Philly teachers work out their issues quickly. As in NYC, for many students, Catholic Schools provide the ONLY way out of the accepted malaise that plagues the inner cities. The need to keep these schools open has never been greater. I hope all see this before its too late.