Diocese of Scranton Statement on Employee
Councils Meeting and Pickets 

The Diocese of Scranton’s efforts to ensure dignity and justice for its Catholic school employees took another step forward today (Thursday, March 13) with the second meeting of the Employee Councils for the Holy Redeemer and Holy Cross regional school systems. These Employee Councils include teacher and support staff representatives elected by their peers, and this forum enables the employees to participate in an ongoing discussion about their wages, benefits, working conditions and grievances.

We understand that the leaders of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers (SDACT) once again showed their opposition to this program by discouraging people from attending the meeting and encouraging people to conduct informational picketing outside. The small number of people who did show up to picket have every right to express their opinion, and they were allowed to do so without interference.

The real message is that a majority of the schools were represented at the meeting, thereby expressing their intent to give the Employee Councils a fair chance to work. The implementation of this program will continue. All schools and all of their employees are encouraged to participate through their elected representatives.