A contract dispute between Michigan-based teachers and a charter school finally ended when the two sides were able to reach a settlement. The teachers had been arguing that they were being given poor working conditions and that they were not being treated fairly. They wanted that treatment to end, and they also wanted some assurance that things would be different in the future.
Specifically, the issue that they had with the school was that they felt like the teachers who were in the union were not being treated the same as teachers who were not part of a union. One social worker had been fired. They also wanted to make sure that the teachers in the union were not given more work to do based on their affiliation with the union. Furthermore, they wanted to know that teachers would not be fired or treated negatively for joining the union, which could be done to discourage joining.
The teachers got their wish, and the terms were agreed upon between both parties. Furthermore, the social worker who had been fired was brought back, and they were even given back pay for the six months that they had been out of work.
While contract disputes do not always deal with unions, they do often deal with issues between employers and employees, such as a poor working environment, poor pay rates and unfair firings. It is critical for all employees to know what their rights are so they can work to make sure those rights are upheld. If not, they need to know when a new contract is necessary.
Source: The Detroit News, "Academy teachers' union, backers end work dispute" Shawn D. Lewis, Apr. 01, 2014
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