Philadelphia teachers hope to take seniority fight to PA Supreme Court

Philadelphia teachers are hoping to take their fight for seniority all the way to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

They have asked the court to dismiss the School Reform Commission's petition to stop using teacher seniority as the only factor in hiring decisions. They say it will give administrators too much power and called it a "blatant attempt to circumvent labor negotiations and the collective bargaining agreement between the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and the SRC."

It goes on to say that the SRC petition is meant to "strip teachers and other school employees of their rights," and does "nothing to improve the learning conditions for our city’s children."

    “In its petition, the SRC asks the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania for ‘permission’ to unilaterally implement changes to the negotiated provisions of our collective bargaining agreement governing issues such as layoff, recall, assignments and transfers, seniority, preparation time and subcontracting. Most of these provisions have been a part of our labor contract for years. All have been the result of good faith bargaining between the parties. “We have asked the Court to dismiss this petition since every issue the SRC has complained about is contained in a provision of a series of collective bargaining agreements negotiated between the parties over the last 13 years. We have also asked the Court to dismiss the Complaint because every issue about which the SRC complains is subject to the grievance and arbitration process which is also an integral part of our contract."

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal