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Union fights for rights of re-hired Yonkers teachers
December 9, 2004 From left, Yonkers music teachers John Hahn, Marc Pekowsky, Norman Kropf and Andy Seligson jammed at a September union rally. Hahn is still hoping to be called back to work. Responding to union concerns, the Yonkers school district has agreed to merge seniority lists that determine which laid-off educators are called back to make sure that bilingual teachers are not disadvantaged. Several Hispanic teachers raised the issue because the district initially maintained a separate seniority list for bilingual teachers. They said the practice prevented some laid-off bilingual teachers from "bumping" less experienced teachers in their elementary education tenure area. After consulting with New York State United Teachers staffers, the Yonkers Federation of Teachers questioned whether the separate bilingual senior list was in compliance with the state education regulations that establish tenure. Bilingual education is not a separate tenure area. "We met once with the district, researched it, met again and then the district agreed to merge the 60 bilingual teachers onto appropriate lists," said YFT Executive Vice President Rita Seligmann. "In this situation, the district was responsive." The issue has come up as district officials received $6.1 million in additional state aid to rehire an estimated 85 educators who were laid off during this summer's cutbacks, which resulted in the loss of 574 positions throughout the district. Educators are being called back based on seniority lists in such tenure areas as elementary education, music and art. Many of those called back will work the last seven months of the school year in different schools and subject areas. For example, an instrumental music teacher at a magnet school for the arts was offered a general music teaching post at another school. Meanwhile, YFT and NYSUT lawyers are looking into whether the district's one-year offers of employment for those called back are consistent with state laws on layoff and recall. "Those brought back were forced to sign one-year contracts with a June 28 end date," Seligmann said. "We're looking into the legality of one-year contracts under state law." Administrators said there is no promise of future employment because the district faces a significant revenue shortfall for the upcoming school year. The $6.1 million includes $5 million advanced from the state's 2005-06 state aid and a one-time $1.1 million legislative grant. While many Yonkers educators have retired or found jobs elsewhere and about 85 have been called back, there are still about 120 YFTers who are still out of work, Seligmann noted. "We're still desperately looking for money to call more of the staff back," Seligmann said. Even with the callbacks, staffing remains skeletal, she said. For example, with the addition of 20 guidance counselors, the district now will have 42, down from 66 a year ago. The district now will have 10 social workers, down from 34 last year. — Sylvia Saunders |
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