Public Employee Press

Local 372 School Aide wins back his job

DC 37 won back the job of School Aide José Garcia, who was wrongfully terminated by the Dept. of Education.

Grievance Rep Domenic Renzi filed a grievance on behalf of the Local 372 member, charging that the Dept. of Education did not follow the appropriate discharge review procedures as required by the citywide collective bargaining agreement.

Garcia was dismissed from the Bronx High School of Business, where he had worked for more than four years, on March 7, 2011.

The grievance sought immediate reinstatement, back pay with interest and benefits lost, clearing his disciplinary record and restoring any seniority lost.

After both parties went through step 3 of the grievance process and failed to resolve the issue, the matter was taken to an arbitration hearing in June.

At the hearing, the arbitrator agreed with the union and ordered the Dept. of Education to reinstate Garcia, clear his disciplinary record and restore any lost seniority.

"I'm very happy to have my job back and to have this union fight for me," said Garcia, who went back to work soon after the arbitrator's decision. "It took a while but it was well worth the wait."

"The Dept. of Education has to follow their own procedures and, because they didn't, our member was unjustly dismissed from his job," Renzi said.