Saturday, July 24, 2010

UFT Blasts Queens Charter School Over Letter Firings - NY1.com

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A fight is on to reinstate 11 Queens charter school teachers who were fired via FedEx.

The United Federation of Teachers says one third of the staff at Merrick Academy received termination notices via FedEx earlier this week.

The teachers were in the middle of contentious contract negotiations with the school board.

Union leaders say the firings are a direct violation of state law forbidding discrimination against employees who organize or participate in unions.

"You can't find another charter school in the state that has consistently put up the amount of grades and the performance that our students have had. So it only leads you to believe logically that since we have been speaking out about the amount of injustice that's been going on in the school that this is nothing but just personal, bitter attacks," said Merrick Academy teacher Jonathan Carrington.

The UFT is seeking to have the Public Employment Relations Board overturn the dismissals and reinstate the eight teachers and three teaching assistants with benefits and lost pay.

NY1 has reached out to the chairman of Merrick’s Board of Trustees for comment.