Friday, May 05, 2000
Teachers fight back at layoffs
By James Pilcher
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers on Thursday filed 68 grievances on behalf of teachers soon to lose their jobs, ramping up its fight against nearly 100 layoffs.
“The way they did it was unfair, arbitrary and capricious,” said CFT President Tom Mooney. “And we can prove that they don't need to do it at all.”
Last week, the Cincinnati Public Schools board voted 4-3 to lay off 98 teachers at the end of the school year, including 47 elementary teachers.
CPS administrators say the cuts are necessary because of shrinking enrollment and voters' rejection of levy increases in the last two elections.
“We very much believe we followed the contract, which says that training is to be considered before experience,” said CPS Deputy Superintendent Rosa Blackwell.
The 3,600-member union says administrators violated the contract when selecting which teachers to cut. CFT also says the cuts aren't necessary at the elementary level, because the average attrition rate over the last three years is about 50 teachers per year.
If CPS administrators find that the layoffs don't violate the contract, the union can ask that they be heard by a grievance committee of administrators, teachers and community members. The final step is a binding arbitrator.
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