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Public
Employee Press School
Aide awarded $9,000 as unjust dismissal is reversed
For
Ana Lopez, a School Aide and member of Local 372, working with the students at
PS 119 in the Bronx is very rewarding but dealing with management is another
story. Acting on a parents unfounded allegation of corporal punishment,
the principal of the school decided to terminate Lopez on Oct. 18, 2006.
She
quickly contacted the union and a grievance was filed on her behalf, but efforts
to resolve the matter between the schools management and union representatives
were unsuccessful.
The union took the dismissal to impartial arbitration,
and both sides presented their cases at a hearing held Feb. 29.
The Dept.
of Education maintained that Lopez had been terminated for good and sufficient
reason. The union showed that there was no concrete evidence against Lopez to
support the charge of corporal punishment.
The union also pointed out that
the parent did not make the complaint until two weeks after the incident. Attorney
Mitchell B. Craner, who handled the case for the union, said this rendered the
complaint void of merit.
The arbitrator agreed with the union and found
that the Dept. of Education had no credible evidence and lacked good and sufficient
cause to terminate Lopez. The arbitrator ordered the DOE to reinstate her immediately
and awarded her $9,000 in back pay.
It was important that she contacted
the union right away so we were able to move quickly, said Schools Division
Council Rep Domenic Renzi. Sometimes members dont understand that
these issues take time to resolve, but she understood that and was very patient,
he said.
I really appreciate all the work the union and Mr. Renzi
did on my behalf, said Lopez. Working together we were able to win.
Lopez will return to work when school opens in September. | |