School Unions Unite on Concerns

The unions representing DC school employees are uniting around serious concerns about the Chancellor and Mayor's push to make most Central Office workers "at-will" employees. Leaders of the Teachers, School Officers, Teamsters and AFSCME Council 20 unions met with Metro Washington Council President Jos Williams on Thursday to review the proposed changes. The group noted that since the Chancellor already has powers to discipline and fire under-performing employees, it's not clear what the additional authority will accomplish. They also expressed concern about the precedent set in 1995, when a large number of DC government employees, fired by former Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly, had to be reinstated at great expense to the city. The union leaders plan to raise these and other concerns at the upcoming City Council hearing next Friday, November 2.