Public Employee Press

Local 372 grievance educates a principal

Among the many responsibilities of the Parent Coordinator, establishing strong working relationships with parents and the Parent Teacher Association is one of the most important.

So when the relationship between the PTA at Choir Academy in Harlem and Parent Coordinator Traci Westbrook did not develop as smoothly as planned, the principal held Westbrook responsible and had her dismissed.

On June 23, 2004, the Dept. of Education dismissed Westbrook and claimed it had “good and sufficient reason to terminate her employment,” citing significant performance problems.

DC 37 and Local 372 said the dismissal lacked merit, violated Article XXXI of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and should be reversed with full back pay for Westbrook.

A few days after she was dismissed, the union filed a grievance on behalf of the Local 372 member. Efforts to resolve the matter were unsuccessful and an arbitration panel was convened to decide the case. At a Feb. 8 hearing, both sides presented their cases and on March 22 the arbitration panel rendered its decision.

The panel found that the school’s PTA “had severe internal difficulties which clearly had an impact on the grievant’s attempt to establish a working relationship with that organization.” The panel also found that “some of the officers of the PTA were uncivil and blatantly hostile” towards Westbrook. Had she “received even a modicum of assistance from the building principal her problems with the PTA might have been overcome,” said the panel.

Based on these findings, the panel agreed with the union that the Dept. of Education did not have good and sufficient reason to terminate Traci Westbrook’s employment and directed that the DOE reinstate her with full back pay.

“This is a new title, and the principal wasn’t clear on the job description,” said Westbrook, who is looking forward to going back to work in September. “I’m glad that the union stuck with me throughout the whole ordeal. I thought they might forget about me. The union and Dana Tilghman were in touch with me the whole time,” she said of the Schools Division grievance rep.

“It’s important that Local 372 members contact the union when they feel that their rights under the contract have been violated,” advised Local 372 and DC 37 President Veronica Montgomery-Costa. “The union wants to pursue management any time they infringe on our members’ rights under the collective bargaining agreement.”