The following comes from an August 19 Business Wire article:
A three-year collective bargaining agreement (2015-18) with the Archdiocese of San Francisco was ratified today by members of the Archdiocesan Federation of Teachers, local 2240. This labor agreement covers 236 full-time teachers at four Archdiocesan high schools – Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco), Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep (San Francisco), Marin Catholic (Kentfield) and Junipero Serra (San Mateo).
The labor agreement provides wage increases over the three-year contract and other negotiated working conditions and benefits. Archdiocesan labor agreements also include a preamble in which are stated the purposes of Catholic education and the responsibilities of teaching in Catholic schools. These were discussed and agreed-upon and are included below in an appendix.
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said, “I want to thank the union and administration negotiating teams for their hard work over the past few months in coming to this agreement. They have negotiated just wages and benefits for our high school teachers, who are among the finest teachers in northern California.
“I also very much appreciate that the negotiations included a rich discussion about the mission and purpose of Catholic education and the vital role that our high school teachers play in carrying out that mission,” he said. “I’m pleased that these discussions reinforced and clarified purposes and roles which have been referenced in previous contracts. And I pass on my special thanks to all our teachers who ratified this agreement.”
2015-18 Collective Bargaining Agreement – Preamble Clauses on Catholic Education
WHEREAS, the Union and its members recognize the unique nature of the Archdiocesan high school system in that it is Roman Catholic, committed to provide education within the framework of Catholic principles; that Catholic teachings and precepts shall remain paramount throughout the term of this Agreement; and that nothing in the Agreement shall be construed as interfering in any way with the Superintendent’s functions and duties insofar as they are canonical; and
WHEREAS, the Union and its members recognize that all lay teachers covered by this Agreement shall perform all their duties as set forth in this Agreement in accordance with the doctrines and precepts of the Roman Catholic Church, and shall conduct themselves at all times during the performance of those duties in a manner in keeping with the standards of the Church; and
WHEREAS, the Parties to this agreement acknowledge that the purpose of Catholic schools is to affirm Catholic values through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to help students learn and develop their critical and moral faculties; and
WHEREAS, teachers are expected to support the purpose of our Catholic schools in such a way that their personal conduct will not adversely impact their ability to teach in our Catholic High Schools; and
WHEREAS, the Parties acknowledge that disputes about teacher conduct on and off the job are subject to the grievance procedure to determine whether such conduct has adversely impacted the teacher’s ability to teach in our Catholic High Schools.
Super !
Any school, college, or university that advertises itself as “Catholic” is committing FRAUD if they do not adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Church according to the CCC.
All students and parents have the right to expect “truth” in advertising – because there is money (tuition) involved.
Dottie, I agree that all “Catholic” schools should adhere to Church teachings. They all claim to do that. Now, someone needs to define what that means. The Archbishop tried and was vilified by the teachers and the press. The school administration said that it would be offensive to teach that gay marriage was against church teachings, that the “pride parade” was something the church should endorse, etc. At the college level the schools are acting in the “spirit of Catholic tradition” without defining it, but cooperating with PP. How, and who defines Catholic anymore?
Incrementalism: this is a good use the tactics of the revolutionaries, bishop. If this is not your ideal, then it is a start. The church will be around longer than the teachers. But will we have fine faithful tenacious bishops like Bishop Cordileone in the future, or will we have more of those who surrender to the culture? Only the Vatican can name bishops. Only the Holy Spirit can reform the Vatican.
Not legal advice, of course, but several things are wrong with this agreement:
1. Whereas Clauses Lack Legal Effect: Generally, “whereas” clauses set the stage of the contract but are not part of its enforceable terms. What does the substance of the contract say about employment terms? About enforcement? About Catholic identity expectations? It looks like the pro-sexual license and freedom crowd got their way and the Archbishop backed down.
2. Cordileone is a man, who stood up as best he could with a lukewarm Vatican and likely hostile USCCB behind him. The Catholic Church leadership simply does not care about sexual ethics; none of it, including abortion, fornication, contraception, co-habitation, homosexual sex, all of…
(Continued) “it. Abp. Cupich is the ideal to the Vatican.
The Catholic Laity must demand clerical fidelity to the Church, or there will be very little. Precious resources are wasted by ambitious bishops and cardinals now hosting simply loony conferences and the like on climate change and global warming. Instead, they should be studying the culture and reaching out to Catholics with warnings about how to live their lives and avoid sin and obtain salvation. You will not find much of that in the Church nowadays.
“disputes about teacher conduct on and off the job are subject to the grievance procedure to determine…”
I foresee the use of Gaystapo Rules for the ‘grievance’ process, which will mean conformity to the Anti-Catholic MISANDRY (Hatred of Men & Boys, Masculinity & Normal Heterosexuality) that characterizes ‘our’ Turkey Baster Creationist courts.
It is doubtful that even a male drag queen ‘teacher’ showing up at school dressed in grotesque mockery of a Catholic Nun of ‘perpetual indulgence’ would be able to beat the ‘grievance’ machinery – which will be weak & compromised from the start by said Misandry.
God bless Archbishop Cordileone for standing on the firm rock of principles. We need many more like him.
He didn’t–that’s the problem.
I don’t agree with the headline. How are the schools going to support Catholic teaching when there is a grievance procedure? Can anyone really believe that they’ll be able to fire a “married” lesbian religious ed teacher when there is a union grievance process to protect her?
There MUST be a grievance procedure, because even Holy Mother Church has discriminated against employees: you are too old. You are not Caucasian. And so forth.
Bless Abp. Cordileone! He did a very good job, in a very difficult situation that he had, to work with! After Vatican II, our true Catholic education system was destroyed! What the Church really needs, is a mandatory strong religious education program, worldwide, (as in the past) for all! Only good, practicing Catholics should be hired, as teachers, or in other jobs, for the Church! To have a non-Catholic teachers’ union that supports the rights of lay teachers in Catholic schools– is ABSURD!! The schools should all be under the Church! Best to have nuns, priests, and brothers, of teaching religious orders, to run Catholic schools– as before!
Pander or Perish – Now available in Drive Through:
Denver council blocking Chick-fil-A because they support natural marriage
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/denver-council-stops-chick-fil-a-because-they-support-natural-marriage?
Denver City Council, in a rare move, is stalling approval of a Chick-fil-A franchise at Denver International Airport (DIA), because of “concerns” over the owners’ support for natural marriage.
City Council members have passionately argued against approving Chick-fil-A, saying… “really, truly a moral issue on the city.”
The council’s openly homosexual member, Robin Kniech, was first to raise the issue
Well, duh ! Logically, a Catholic school must be teaching what the Catholic Church stands for and believes. But then things are no longer logical in the church or in society. If you are in a cooking school, you are NOT taught that water boils at 5 degrees F. You are taught reality, and what is a fact, not some fiction. Since V2 things have really become bizarre in the Church and in society because the truth is not being told or taught.
Truth is truth, no matter what. Truth is reality, not fiction. Something that was a truth yesterday, cannot be a fable tomorrow. Theology is something than can grow and progress, but it can never change. Right is right even if no one follows it, and wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. Dogma and morality can never develop into something that was never believed, or condemned.
Laws and policies are meant to protect both sides: the employer, and the worker.
When something goes wrong, you need a methodology to help mediate the dispute.
I, for one, am glad the archdiocese was able to come to an agreement with the teachers as the school year is about to begin: it gives a good example to the students that dialog can work!
Yeah, dialogue can work, that’s what Obama and Kerry are saying about the Iran deal too.