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Home > Blogs > Springfield Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > June > 24 > Entry
D.C. district, union discuss eliminating seniority
I just came across a Washington Post story that says that the Washington D.C. school district and teachers union are discussing in negotiations a proposed contract that would eliminate seniority.
If this went through, it would be a pretty big deal. In most districts, seniority is the primary factor for staffing decisions — the low man on the totem pole is usually the one at the administration’s whim for transfers and relocations and reductions in staff go by certification and seniority.
The contract the Washington Teachers’ Union and district officials are discussing would give the administration more control over which staff member goes to what buildings, subjects and classrooms and would put more of an emphasis on qualifications and performance than years of service, according to the article.
If you talk to union officials, they would likely say that seniority is a prominent factor in order to protect the union members. Performance and, to an extent, qualifications are subjective where seniority is much more straightforward.
Take for example the case of reductions in staff. Those lay-offs are the result of financial woes. As teachers garner more years of service, their pay increases on the salary schedule. So if a district is facing financial trouble it would be possible that officials would reduce higher seniority teachers in favor of their lower-paid colleagues.
Opponents to collective bargaining units in schools frequently claim that unions protect low-quality teachers and don’t allow an emphasis in performance.
That the Washington Teachers’ Union is even entertaining this notion is intriguing. I’ll be keeping my eye on it to see what happens.
Do you think seniority should be a prominent factor in our schools?
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