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Amidst the potpourri of comments in Tom Cardella’s sardonic ode to autumn (“October” Oct. 23), he includes the unilateral cancellation by the School Reform Commission of its status quo contract with district teachers. Tom correctly points out that teachers in Philly, as part of a wage agreement, had traded lower salaries for free medical benefits. This contract was supposedly signed in good faith, and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers expected the SRC to honor it.
Except, in the present fiscal crisis, which the teachers did not create, what Tom calls the “School ‘Destruction’ Commission” sneaked behind everyone’s back and unanimously canceled the contract and demanded partial payment of premiums, with no raises.
Anyone who works under a labor contract needs to be alarmed by these events. In fact, thousands of union workers showed up at the district’s headquarters Oct. 16 to protest this blatant disregard for labor law. Later, the PFT took the SRC to court and won the first round of legal battles with a court injunction against the contract cancellation.
It is irrelevant whether teachers should, would or could pay for their medical insurance premiums. A contract is a contract, and once a contract is broken, all trust goes out the window.
Gloria Endres South Philadelphia
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