Public Employee Press

Arbitrator reinstates suspended Local 372 Family Worker

Family worker Lillian Martinez was reinstated at her job at PS 16 in District 8 in the Bronx after being wrongfully suspended without pay and without a hearing by her principal. After the principal suspended her in Sept. 2010, Martinez contacted her Council Rep Domenic Renzi, who quickly filed a grievance on her behalf with the Dept. of Education. The grievance requested that the DOE reinstate Martinez immediately with full pay and benefits. The suspension violated the union's collective bargaining agreement.

After the step 2 grievance hearing, the DOE agreed to reinstate Martinez at the Bronx school in her old job with back pay and seniority for the time that she was suspended.

The Local 372 member was suspended by the principal from Sept. 27, 2010, to Dec. 14, 2010. Martinez, who collected unemployment benefits during the suspension period, received $1,421.62 in back pay.

"When we work together we can win these cases," said Renzi. "It's very important that the members contact the union if they have some doubts about something as soon as possible, so we can do our jobs."