Teachers File U.S. Complaint Against Philadelphia Day School Over Union Ouster
Image by wikipedia
The American Federation of Teachers has filed an unfair labor practices complaint against the board of suburban Philadelphia’s Perelman Jewish Day School.
The complaint, issued Monday with the National Labor Relations Board, came in response to the school’s unilateral decision last month to no longer recognize its teachers union, the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent reported.
A private school that is affiliated with the Conservative movement’s Schechter Day School Network, Perelman serves more than 300 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
The school leadership has defended its decision by arguing that, as a religious institution, it is exempt from the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board. The school has also said that eliminating the union, which is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, will improve communication between teachers and administration and will give the administration needed flexibility in hiring decisions.
The recent surprise decision by the board to stop recognizing its teachers union of 38 years has drawn the ire of Randi Weingarten, one of America’s leading labor leaders.
“As a Jew who grew up in the Conservative movement and a union leader, I’m appalled at what has transpired at the Perelman Jewish Day School,” she said. “Management has taken it upon itself to strip the educators of their voice and their union, in direct violation of core tenets of our faith—honoring the treatment of our workers and our teachers.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
