Jun 27, 2006 12:41 PM
Eddie Calderon-Melendez
CEO, Williamsburg Charter School
424 Leonard Street, 4th Floor
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Mr. Melendez,
It has come to my attention that you, as CEO of the Williamsburg Charter School, recently terminated two teachers after they attempted to organize to seek higher wages and better working conditions and benefits. It is actions like this that has led us to advocate for labor rights in any reconsideration of the state’s charter law.
As Americans, we cherish our basic right to freedom of expression. Many of us, and generations before us, have fought hard for the right of people to seek better wages and working conditions without fear of intimidation and reprisals.
We have been told that you refused to renew the contracts of high school teacher Nichole Byrne Lau and one of her colleagues without giving them – or the many students and parents who supported them – any reasons whatsoever.
The terminations came after teachers began holding informal discussions about their unhappiness over their wages, which were lower than in New York City public schools, the length of their working day, the lack of maternity leave and a genuine retirement plan. Some of the teachers obtained a Department of Education pay scale in March, which was the result of negotiations between the city and the United Federation of Teachers, and learned they were earning less. Some of them met with you to ask that the school conform to the DOE’s pay scale. We understand that in these meetings you expressed anger that some staffers had distributed copies of the DOE pay scale.
Ironically, approximately two months after the teachers began bringing the pay discrepancies to your attention, you issued a first-ever pay scale for the coming school year, 2006-07, that significantly raises teacher pay.
Then on June 5 you informed Ms. Byrne Lau, who has been working at your school for two years and has an exemplary record, that her contract would not be renewed. This came after years of high evaluations and repeated praise – and after you told her you were considering giving her a three-year contract. Aside from having a stellar performance record, Chancellor Klein mentioned her in glowing terms in his March 2006 newsletter.
During the meeting where you informed Ms. Byrne Lau that she would be terminated, she said you held or motioned to the DOE pay scale and said words to the effect of: Whoever thought it would be a good idea to distribute this has no idea how to run a school. A day later, you terminated the second teacher.
Since those sudden terminations, it has been reported to me that students have presented you with a four-page petition filled with signatures on Ms. Byrne Lau’s behalf. You told students at an informal assembly that you did not “fire” anyone, but that you have the right to fire teachers “at will” and without explanation.
Serious questions also have been raised about the school’s finances, potential incidents of fiscal mismanagement and employer contributions to staffers’ 401(k) plans.
As president of the New York City teachers union, a labor leader and an educator, I am appalled by what you have done and will do everything in my power to both publicize and right this wrong.
As you know, the UFT operates an elementary charter school in East New York and will open a secondary charter school in the same neighborhood in September. Unlike most charter schools, ours will operate under the teachers’ contract with pay, rights and benefits equal to those in all of the city’s regular public schools. Charter schools, like other public schools, should be accountable and transparent and none should be allowed to intimidate or fire educators who merely want to organize for better pay and working conditions.
I respectfully urge you to reconsider your actions.
Randi Weingarten
Cc: Joel Klein
Paula Gavin
Shelia Evans Tranumn
