Archdiocesan Officials Say They Are Ready For School, Even Without Lay Teachers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A member of the Office of Catholic Education negotiating team says he's disappointed that lay teachers walked off the job today (see related story).
Dr. Richard McCarron says they are "willing and ready" to resume negotiations with the teachers' union.
"These are my ninth set of negotiations," McCarron said, "and I have never seen such stalling or delaying tactics."
McCarron believes the union did not adequately portray how the Archdiocese planned to use part-time teachers.
"Once the student-teacher ratio is defined, no part-time teacher will ever replace a full-time teacher," he says.
The Archdiocese offered 7.84 percent salary increases over three years.
Their plan now is to have administrators and nonunion personnel handle orientation duties on Wednesday through Friday as they hold assemblies and hand out IDs and locker assignments.
Come next week, when actual classes start, McCarron says they'll assess the situation on a day-to-day basis.
Reported by Steve Tawa, KYW Newsradio 1060
