Public Employee Press

Grievance News
Local 372 School Aide wins back job

DC 37 won back the job of improperly terminated School Aide Sadiqua Clement, with back pay and seniority benefits. The Local 372 member has worked for close to 10 years at PS 213 in Brooklyn's District 19 without any incidents and had been commended for her work by the school's principal.

But in June 2012 the principal terminated Clement after an argument without going through the required progressive disciplinary process as required by the collective bargaining agreement.

"It was over something so petty," said Clement. She contacted her union rep who promptly filed a grievance on her behalf to get her back on the job. Grievance Rep Brenda Jimenez cited the principal's failure to follow the required progressive disciplinary process. The union demanded that Clement be allowed back to work at PS 213 as soon as possible.

After the grievance reached Step 3 without a resolution, the union, represented by DC 37 attorney Erica Gray-Nelson, came to an agreement with the Dept. of Education. DOE agreed to reinstate Clement, restore her seniority and give her $2,500 in back pay for the period when she had been suspended, from June 22 through Dec. 21, 2012. Her official work history was amended to reflect a neutral leave of absence instead of termination.

"This victory shows that the union is there to fight for our members when they have been unjustly treated," said Jimenez.