You are invited to a special meeting with the law firm ofJoseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A.
A free, two hour consultation has been arranged for DCPS Reduction In Force (RIF) teachers, school counselors and service providers who will be terminated effective November 2, 2009 only. This closed session is for informational purposes only and is being held to ensure that you have an opportunity to discuss your legal rights. Your participation in this legal consultation does not impede representation elsewhere.
When: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Time: 4:45 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
Where: 6404 Ivy Lane
Suite 400
Greenbelt, MD 20770-1417
This is a closed meeting organized by the rank and file union members. An RSVP is required. You may also visit the firms website at http://www.jgllaw.com/
Many teachers/school counselors have wisely sought outside legal counsel to protect their valuable employment rights in addition to their union. You might want to also. Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, PA has an excellent reputation for handling similar matters.
Feel free to contact Nathan Saunders, WTU General Vice President @ 202-213-7081 or email The Washington Teacher c/o thewashingtonteacher@gmail.com Contact us if we can further assist in this matter.
Posted by The Washington Teacher featuring Candi Peterson, blogger in residence
9 comments:
Thanks for this....I feel out of the loop waiting for the WTU to tell me about my legal options....
Candi,
What about those of us who
were let go of in June 2009?
We received nothing!! No severance,
nada!!
Where is the representation for
us? What is the latest status
for the class action suit that
was filed on our behalfs?
It appears most of the attention
is on those who were recently
let go of a couple weeks ago,
and the 275 who were let go
in June seem to have been totally ignored. We were the first
round!!
Perhaps I am wrong??
I want to leave a bit of advice for teachers. By all means, get an attorney and defend your rights. Before you do or at the same time, however, file an OEA appeal at the Office of Employee appeals. Since teachers were unfairly and prejudicially riffed -- or whatever lie Rhee is telling now -- you can begin there so the legal process is faster when you get to court. File a class action because roughly 70% of teachers "riffed" were 40 and over, Black and female.
There were many white and other
races that were unjustly terminated
in June, not just African American females. What about the male teachers who are white, African American etc? The terminations
has affected many. Who can afford
an attorney especially if your
single and have nobody to lean
on/rely on other than yourself
and collecting unemployment?
What can those of us do who
cannot afford an attorney?
Filing an EEOC complaint can
take years to come to some
kind of agreement if anything
comes about from it.
I am extremely upset, angry,
and diappointed that the
WTU has cast those of us
who were unjustly terminated in June 2009 to the side as if we
do not count anymore.
I'd like some answers from the
WTU.
To Annons at 12:41 and 3:04,
Seems to me that you need to refer your questions directly to President George Parker.
He has all the answers. He is a one man show....No Executive Board meetings, No Rep Assembly Meetings, no Membership Meetings.
A One Man Show!
For those DCPS teachers terminated in June 2009, my heart goes out to you. However, you should call you Washington Teacher's Union field representative as it seems that at least 25 of those 90 day plan teachers were reinstated according to Bill Turque of the Washington Post. See below
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2009/10/some_dc_teachers_go_back_to_wo.html
DC Wire (Washington Post) Bill Turque
Some D.C. Teachers Go Back To Work
In the next few days, District lawyers are expected to respond to the Washington Teachers' Union lawsuit, explaining why DCPS was within its rights to lay off 266 teachers and staff. At the same time, the school system has quietly reinstated 25 teachers terminated last summer under the so-called "90-day plan."
I hope we can create a legal defense for DC teachers to help defray the costs of outside legal fees. My next step is to try to get a committee going to set up various fundraisers.
If anyone is interested please send me your suggestions via email c/o either
saveourcounselors@gmail.com or
thewashingtonteacher@gmail.com
Thanks,
Candi
Message to Candi & Nathan:
Thank you so much for setting up the meetings with the attorneys. I love that there was a great deal of time taken to explain the legal process, our legal rights and protections and next steps.
Considering the fact that George Parker and Clay White won't even give us the case number for something filed on our behalf, this was a welcomed change and it did not even cost the 29.00 I paid per pay period in union dues. At least now I have the case number and can go look it up for myself.
By the way, can you post the case on this blog so that people don't have to pay for it? Money is tight right now and because I may have to use it on my own attorney, I am watching every penny.
Thanks again for all of your support!
Anonmous @ 12:41
Severance is required by law if you are laid off. I have not forgotten the other teachers who have been unjustly terminated. This has been a premeditated plan as per Rhee's 5 year education plan.
I do not know the status from our union re 2009 terminated teachers. Transparency is not forthcoming under Parker I hate to say. I do know that these cases will have to go to arbitration and this could be a very lengthy procedure. What I have now learned is that it is better to fight these battles before you are terminated without due process. Fighting them after the fact means that you are out of a job until due process occurs which takes a while.
I hope we can consider collectively looking at creating a defense fund for DC teachers as we all need one to defray legal costs included previously terminated teachers.
If you have ideas feel free to post here or write me c/o saveourcounselors@ gmail or thewashingtonteacher@gmail.com
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