Catholic school teachers prepared to strike
-
- April
- 14
When Pope Benedict XVI’s plane touches down in Maryland tomorrow, teachers at 10 Catholic high schools in New York could be walking a picket line, my colleague Timothy O’Connor reports today.
The union representing 450 teachers at the high schools, including three in Westchester County, voted yesterday to begin a strike tomorrow morning.
“I’m not out to embarrass the pope,” said Henry Kielkucki, the business manager of the Lay Faculty Association. “But am I out to embarrass the archdiocese? Maybe.”
The union has been without a contract since its last three-year deal with the Archdiocese of New York expired Aug. 31. Contract negotiations have stalled over salary and benefits, with Kielkucki saying the archdiocese balked at the union’s latest offer. The union, he said, proposed the archdiocese increase its offer by $19,000 in salaries and benefits.
The union has made one final offer that will be delivered through a mediator, Kielkucki said.
If that’s rejected, they’ll walk, he said.
“If they put $19,000 into their current offer, we’d sign tomorrow,” he said. “But they won’t. We’re not $19,000 apart. We’re worlds apart because they won’t do it.”
This entry was posted
on Monday, April 14th, 2008 at 9:22 am by Diana Costello.
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