HARRISBURG - With much at stake, lawyers for the School
Reform Commission on Wednesday asked the five judges of Commonwealth Court to
affirm their power to cancel the teachers' contract.
The law that created the SRC acknowledged that in times
of distress, the commission must have at its disposal special powers, said
attorney Mark Aronchick.
"The polestar is the children, not the protection of
some collective bargaining interest that protects the interest of
teachers," Aronchick told the judges in Harrisburg.
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers lawyer Ralph Teti
said that the SRC lacks the authority to abrogate its contract.
"I think they overstepped their boundaries
greatly," Teti said. "Their view of it is if we have a contract on
Monday, we can cancel it on Tuesday."
The SRC wants to make teachers begin paying a portion of
their health-care costs, a move it said will save $54 million annually.
Teachers would pay from $72 to $700 per month depending on their salary, the
plan they choose and their family status.
The school district had hoped to make changes to teacher'
health care effective Dec. 15, but an injuction by a lower court temporarily
halted the changes.
Commonwealth Court's timeline is unclear. Rulings
generally come down a few months after arguments, but this is considered a
high-priority case and may see a ruling more quickly.
Source: Philly.com
No comments:
Post a Comment