Archdiocesan High School Teachers Strike

On Wednesday morning, Archbishop Wood’s faculty arrived outside the Warminster high school with pickets and signs instead of textbooks and chalk for the first day of school.

The Association of Catholic Teachers, which represents the faculty of 17 Archdiocesan schools, decided to strike Tuesday after a new contract proposed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was shot down in a 589-60 vote.

Although the two sides have been negotiating for five months, the decision to strike came less than 24 hours before the start of the new school year.

About 20 teachers camped out at both front entrances to Archbishop Wood on Wednesday. Many of the members of the Association of Catholic Teachers declined the opportunity to comment on the contract situation and referred reporters to the union rep. Those that did comment asked to remain anonymous.

The first thing they said they wished to clarify is that the root of the dispute was not about money or benefits, but the amount of control the diocese wants over the union and classrooms.

"They want to place too many constrictions and controls on how we teach," said one picketer. "They want to hire and fire without recourse, eliminate tenure and extend our work days without compensation."

According to one teacher, the diocese also wanted more control over how staff members conduct prep period, the short amount of time in the morning that teachers make final preparations for the day's lessons.

"The kinds of things they have asked for in negotiations indicates that they don't really understand what the contract is," said a teacher as he walked the north entrance to the school. "They want the archdiocese to be in charge of putting together the school calendars. Well, that's the job of the assistant principal, who is an administrator and not part of the union."

Freshmen, meanwhile, filed into Archbishop Wood’s auditorium for a class meeting on Wednesday, an event that usually takes place during normal school days within the first few weeks of the year, said Carolyn Quinn, a senior from Doylestown and president of Wood’s student council.

“Five administrators will be in charge of all students until teachers return,” Quinn said. “Student council usually only helps out with freshmen first day, but because teachers aren’t there, we're running it.”

Quinn said the strike also will affect transportation. While busing was available to and from Archbishop Wood Wednesday, it will be available only in the mornings on Thursday and Friday when sophomores, juniors and seniors report to school.

Sophomores will come in Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. and dismiss at 10:15 a.m. On Friday, juniors will be in school 7:30 to 10:15 a.m., with seniors coming in at 11 a.m. and leaving at 1 p.m.

The Archdiocese, meanwhile, said its offers are fair.

“The Archdiocese made multiple concessions in our proposals and believes the contract offered to the teachers is equitable,” officials said in a news release. “It is our hope that our teachers will recognize that a strike is not in their best interest and most certainly not in the best interest of our students and their families.”

Irene Tori, vice president of the teacher’s union, said that they were not able to reach an agreement Tuesday because the Archdiocese proposed “anti-teacher” and “anti-union” changes, including moving away from a seniority-based system that allows teachers with more experience to keep their jobs.

There's no real indication how long the dispute will last. Negotiators on both sides are expected to meet Thursday following the installation of Philadelphia's new Archbishop Charles Chaput.

“My concern is how long it’s going to go on,” said Carolyn’s mother, Marguerite Quinn, recalling 2003’s six-day strike. “Teaching, especially at a Catholic school, is a vocation. And I’m sure it was a difficult decision. I just hope it comes to a speedy resolution.”

WarminsterPatch Editor James Boyle contributed to this report.