Public Employee Press

Local 372 saves two jobs from Rockaway principal

The union has reversed the firings of two Local 372 members axed by a tyrannical principal who showed total disregard for disciplinary procedures. At Middle School 53Q in Far Rockaway, Parent Coordinator Karen Blanding was shocked when she was told on June 29, 2007, that she was terminated effective immediately, and School Aide Michelle Young suffered a similar fate.

The situation at the school is so bad that a local community newspaper referred to the principal as an “educational charlatan.”

The principal claimed Blanding was responsible for the low level of participation by the parents at PTA and other meetings. Among many other duties, Parent Coordinators organize meetings and reach out to parents. Blanding called the union the day after she was fired, and Schools Division Grievance Rep Brenda Jimenez immediately filed a grievance.

Efforts to resolve the matter with the Dept. of Education were unsuccessful, and the union took the case to arbitration. At hearings on Oct. 24 and Nov. 24, the union argued that the allegations against Blanding were devoid of merit, showed that the DOE did not follow the required course of progressive discipline, and asked for reinstatement with full back pay.

The DOE claimed that Blanding failed at increasing parental involvement. The union pointed out that she was hindered from performing her job when management dismissed a Spanish translator ­assignedto the school, where many parents speak only Spanish.

Arbitrator agrees
On Dec. 29, the arbitrator ruled that the DOE had produced no evidence that Blanding failed to increase parental involvement, found the termination premature because the DOE had failed to utilize progressive disciplinary action, and ordered Blanding reinstated with a year’s back pay.

Young learned on June 26, 2007, that she would be terminated. Claiming that her attendance and lateness were unacceptable and that she neglected to supervise students at the gym door, the principal charged her with insubordination. At a Nov. 19 arbitration hearing, the union asserted that her attendance had improved dramatically and that she did not repeat any behavior she had been admonished about. The incidents involved were of a minor nature and warranted no more than a verbal warning, said the union.

The arbitrator found that there was no hint of insubordination by Young and that the principal had again failed to use progressive discipline. Young is to be reinstated with full back pay and will also be reimbursed $270 per month toward the cost of the health insurance she paid for while she was off the DOE payroll.

“We have to thank Brenda Jimenez,” said Blanding. “She was with us every step of the way,” said Young.