Even unions that are perceived to be exceedingly strong need to have legal representation to ensure that their rights are adhered to. Some of the more powerful unions in New York include law enforcement and teachers. When there is a dispute over some issue related to labor law, the National Labor Relations Board is available to help those who believe there has been a violation committed against union members. This is especially important when there are dismissals that are deemed to have been unjust and violated the contract.
An injunction is being sought by the United Federation of Teachers through the NLRB due to a Bronx charter school firing 11 of 15 employees who are members of the UFT. Included in the dismissals are the bargaining committee simultaneous to a first contract being negotiated. The president of the UFT claims that the dismissals were an act of hypocrisy. The school’s intent is to teach law and social justice and the firings are said to be diametrically opposed to that because of the teachers’ attempts to negotiate.
In mid-June, the firings commenced. Employees had complained about the building in which they were working, saying there were health and safety violations. They also said that special education students’ needs were not being met. The UFT filed the claim in late June alleging that the dismissals violate protections accorded by the NLRB. The union wants the NLRB to return the employees to their jobs.
For members of a union, the entire purpose of taking part is to have the protections that go along with organizing and negotiating as a group. With collective bargaining issues, labor law and the problems union members can face if they are not protected as strongly as they should be, it is crucial to have a legal professional to help with a case. With this situation and teachers in New York being fired from a charter school, it is imperative that they protect themselves with help from a qualified attorney.
Source: uft.org, “UFT files NLRB complaint after charter employee firings,” Linda Ocasio, Aug. 3, 2017