Philadelphia, Pa., Sep 19, 2011 / 22:19 pm
Catholic high school teachers in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will return to classes after agreeing to a new contract on Sept. 19. The contract includes provisions about job security and the importance of the Catholic identity of the schools.
“I’m very grateful that our teachers ratified this contract today,” Richard McCarron, the archdiocese’s Secretary for Catholic Education, told a press conference Monday. “We view this contract as a watershed contract for the archdiocese’s schools.”
“It really gives us a cutting-edge program for the students and parents that we serve.”
More than 700 teachers began the strike on Sept. 6. They cited proposed changes in tenure and sick leave as well as plans to increase use of part-time instructors as their reasons for the walkout. Administrators backing a new contract pointed to the need to update the local Catholic educational system.