“This is my 30th year, and for my entire career I’ve been protesting,” said Pilgrim history teacher Michael Costello as the Teachers Union picketed City Hall on Thursday afternoon. Costello, …
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“This is my 30th year, and for my entire career I’ve been protesting,” said Pilgrim history teacher Michael Costello as the Teachers Union picketed City Hall on Thursday afternoon. Costello, who sported a “No Excuses” pin and held up a “United We Stand” banner with his wife Julie, went on to say he was one of 18 teachers jailed when the city’s teachers went on strike in 1992.
“There hasn’t been a strike in 25 years. But times are changing, so people need to understand that our position always was no contract, no work. No contract, no peace,” he said.
Working conditions for teachers are the learning conditions for students, and teachers are “fighting for this” to protect the students, he said.
Costello was one of the 250-plus people who came out to the WTU’s second “informational picketing” at City Hall. Warwick Police were present, and the picketers remained orderly even through supportive car horn honks from passing drivers.
Joseph and Elizabeth Bottella, longtime Warwick residents who said they’ve put 12 children through Warwick schools and have grandchildren currently in the system, also attended to support the Union.
“It’s not about the money. It’s about the class sizes, taking away the children’s IEPs. These are things the kids need,” Elizabeth said. “Give these children the tools they need. If they don’t have the tools in their toolbox, how are they going to succeed?”
Many at the picketing last month targeted Mayor Scott Avedisian, but Thursday’s focused on the School Committee and Superintendent Philip Thornton.
“We work for the taxpayers and the students. What is the formula for school for an education? Teachers and students. They’re essential. You don’t have education without it. Administrators, all those people, they’re superfluous. And yet they’re treating our educators and our students like they’re second rate,” said School Committee Member Karen Bachus, who carried a WTU sign. “That may be harsh for me to say, but the majority appears to give us that message.”
Bachus said 31 layoff notices have been sent to reading interventionists/specialists and elementary guidance staff this year, a claim confirmed by Union President Darlene Netcoh.
At the last School Committee meeting when Thornton and the Committee were berated over fire alarm failures at Norwood and Holliman Schools, Bachus called for Thornton’s resignation; she said Thursday that she still stands by that call.
A press release sent Wednesday before the picketing accused Thornton and the School Committee of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on interest arbitration, a law firm for mediation, “frivolous court actions,” and other legal expenses. The union wrote that although it first attempted to begin negotiations in December 2014 to allow for enough time to reach an agreement before the August 31, 2015 expiration of the collective bargaining agreement, the School Committee did not begin negotiations until the summer of 2015 and requested mediation that fall.
“In November 2015, in the middle of mediation, Superintendent Thornton and the Warwick School Committee [WSC] filed for interest arbitration allegedly to seek a resolution to the contract dispute. To ensure that this method would indeed result in a successor collective bargaining agreement, the Warwick Teachers’ Union, in December 2015, proposed that the sides agree to make the neutral interest arbitrator’s decision binding,” Union President Darlene Netcoh stated in the release. “However, the WSC refused this offer and have yet to respond to the WTU’s recently reiterated proposal.”
Netcoh reiterated that history on Thursday and had more questions.
“The question is what are they up to? Why are they wasting taxpayer money? Why do they say they want to negotiate and yet they don’t? Why go through all the motions and then ignore it?” she said. “We haven’t seen the ruling. Neither side is going to be 100 percent happy, but there will be contract language that…we can ratify and they can sign an agreement, at least three of the five of them anyway, and we can move on.”
In a response to the union’s release sent on Wednesday, Thornton said the School Committee was “disappointed” that any court action has been necessary, and that it “would have preferred to have resolved these issues without court intervention, however, the School Committee is compelled to negotiate on behalf of the citizens and taxpayers of Warwick.” He also noted that school leadership has received “favorable rulings in a vast majority of the RIDE and Superior Court actions that have been filed.”
“The Warwick School Committee continues to negotiate in good faith with the union leadership. We look forward to coming to an agreement on a new contract with the union leadership so that the school committee, educational leaders, and the teachers can move forward as a district,” he said.
On Friday, he confirmed that 31 layoff notices were sent to “teachers in various certifications/programs.”
“Given the uncertainty of the budget situation, these notices were given to various groups so as to allow the school department the ability to reconcile the budget within the appropriated amount,” he said, noting that these reductions have not been included in the budget recommended to the nayor and City Council.
As for whether he is willing to have the interest arbitration binding as a contract, Thornton said, “The law provides that the interest arbitration award is binding on all matters that do not have a monetary impact. The expansion to monetary is a matter that only the school committee can vote to accept.”
The next date for mediation, per the union and Avedisian, is May 23. Avedisian previously said this date was picked, as it was most convenient for all involved.
5 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
richardcorrente
Elizabeth Botella is right. "It's not about the money." It's about respecting the rights of the TAXPAYERS! You know. Those 80,000 people that are paying the tab. It's also about respecting the teachers who have been working without a contract, not knowing if today is their last day, for almost three years now!
Raise your hand if you would work under those conditions. Raise them up high so I can count them all. That's right. There aren't any hands to count. I'm not saying that the teachers need a "platinum" contract, just a signed one.
As the endorsed Democrat for Mayor I promised to "work every day until we had a new contract". I maintain that promise today, and when the Mayor gets back from vacation please tell him I said that. This is sickening and it's ruining the reputation of our City. If Avedisian doesn't fix this, I will. And I won't stop until it is fixed. I hope the Mayor hears me. I know the teachers and the taxpayers do and 2018 is around the corner.
Happy Summer everyone.
Rick Corrente
The Taxpayers(and the teachers) Mayor
Tuesday, May 9, 2017 Report this
Justanidiot
Too bad the taxpayers don't have someone who is looking out for their interests and not a special snowflake group like teachers. When the union is gone, then we can have some first class education.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017 Report this
Thecaptain
Too bad there were no math teachers at the hearing 2 weeks ago when the healthcare actuary stated that the city was basically bankrupt and unable to fulfill its OPEB obligations. Do we have any math teachers in the city? I'm unsure as looking at the RIDE report on Rhode Island High schools, Warwick students graduate with an average math proficiency of 17% and science proficiency of 11%. Pretty sad.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017 Report this
BeaconCommenter
It's like Christmas morning for the comment section here when the teacher layoff notices go out. Glad you get so much enjoyment when people lose their jobs.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017 Report this
Scal1024
Nobody gets enjoyment out of teachers being laid off. Thats an ignorant, unnecessary comment to make. The bottom line is enrollment has steadily declined, wages have gone up and schools have closed. How BeaconCommentor would you solve the problem? My guess is you'll blame Phil Thorton and hit all the talking points.
I am no fan of Phil Thornton but to act as if he is the sole reason the schools are in the shape they are in is short sighted, political and WRONG!!! These problems were here long before he arrived. Even if he were to resign, the teachers would find fault in the next Sup't regardless. Something has to change, and if this isn't about money why not agree to a pay freeze and settle that part of the contract? If this isn't a money issue than agree to no raises for 3 years and move on to other parts of the contract.
The school committee has been limited in the amount of layoffs they can issue, so what else can they do? This is decades worth of problems coming to the surface now, and both sides need to settle this asap. I know this is a strange concept...but both sides need to put the students first and stop this political bs. It has helped no one and has made our city look foolish.
Saying its "Christmas morning for the comment section" because teachers were laid off doesn't help the argument. That is nothing more than a talking point trying to make the "other side" look bad. The blame game rhetoric has to stop and cooler heads need to prevail.
Thursday, May 11, 2017 Report this