Central Falls teachers offer alternative plan, file unfair labor charges

[struggle4progress]

01:00 AM EST on Wednesday, March 3, 2010
By Jennifer D. Jordan
Journal Staff Writer

On Monday, the union filed three unfair labor practice charges against the school district, the union’s first move to appeal the mass firings.

Marcia Reback, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers, which represents the Central Falls teachers, said the local union filed three charges against the district: failure to negotiate; refusal to provide information to the union and terminations in retaliation for the teachers’ union activities.

“The primary reason <for the filings> is that we want to secure the jobs of the Central Falls teachers themselves,” Reback said. “But we also know this situation is a national situation. If what happened in Central Falls is upheld, it will set a precedent across the United States” ...

“On or about Feb. 18, 2010, every teacher at Central Falls High School received notice that he or she will be terminated from their employment as a teacher at the end of the 2009-2010 school year,” according to the one-page document. “On or about Feb. 23, said teachers received notice that the Board of Trustees voted to terminate their employment … Said termination is in retaliation for the teachers’ exercise of their rights and was made to discourage membership in a labor organization” ...

http://www.projo.com/news/content/central_falls_labor_complaint_03-03-10_TEHKQU_v41.398650e.html