Archdiocese Says Negotiations Are Not Anti-Union

Although some teachers have called the ongoing contract negotiations between the union and the Archdiocese "anti-union," Theresa Ryan-Szott, the director of secondary school personnel and chief negotiator for the archdiocese, said that couldn't be further from the truth.

"That is categorically untrue and it infurates me to hear that," she said during a call with Patch Friday afternoon. 

Ryan-Szott and Mary Rochford, the superintendent of the archdioceses, said the disagreement stems from an evolving education system. 

"We need to be able to run its schools, create programs and begin initatives without the constraints built into it as a result of the labor contract," Ryan-Szott said. "Our teachers have been very engaged in these initiatves and are willing to work for them. I don't believe the resistance is throughout all the teachers."

teachers voiced concern about the lack of job security and the elimination of tenure and seniority. But both Rochford and Ryan-Szott said those two items are not going anywhere. 

"We have not eliminated seniority or tenure but we are proposing a change in the tenure system that will recognize distinguished teachers," Ryan-Szott said. "And, for one thing, who does have job security in this economy?"

What the Archdiocese is trying to do, the women said, is ensure that it is preparing its students for life in the 21st century. 

"It is no longer OK to use practices that may have worked 30 years ago, our students are different now," Ryan-Szott said. "Lecturing is no longer an effective way to prepare our students for the real world, using technology is not an option anymore, it is not okay to not use it."

The problem with these negotiations Ryan-Szott continued, is the number of changes.

"We are looking at significant changes that do involve long used practices," she said. "But that is because we have an obligation to our parents and to our students to provide them with an education that will make them ready for college and the real world."

When it comes to specific changes the Archdiocese is hoping to implement the two said they could not be completely specific because of the ongoing changes but stated that they were proposing changes, that seniority and tenure were not being eliminated and that the negotiations are not "anti-union."

Regardless of whether a new contract is adopted at a closed meeting Sept. 6, Rochford said the school year will begin as scheduled. 

"Our plans are to open our doors and welcome the students back," she said. 

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Theresa Ryan-Szott's title as director of secondary education; she is the director of secondary school personnel. The first quote in the story was inaccurately attributed to Mary Rochford. It was said by Theresa Ryan-Szott.