Private school boards get cheques,
but ‘action for justice’ continues
~ Teachers vow to ‘stand together’ until all are paid ~
PHILIPSBURG--Although all the private school boards received their cheques from the Island Government on Thursday to make the retroactive payment to their educators today, Friday, the roughly 200 striking teachers voted unanimously to continue their action until their colleagues in the public school sector have been paid as well.
The educators also agreed to “stand together” and demand that no teacher be penalised for his/her action over the past three days.
All the government-subsidised school boards – the School Board for Secondary Education SVOBE, Foundation for Catholic Education, Seventh Day Adventist School Board, the school board for both sections of St. Marten Academy, the School Board for Hillside Christian School, and the Methodist Agogic Centre School Board – all confirmed having received their cheques from the Island Government on Thursday.
The partial resolution came after Finance Commissioner Roy Marlin visited the teachers who were meeting with their union at the Windward Islands Federation of Labour (WIFOL) building on Thursday to see what he could do to bring an end to the strike. The teachers indicated that they would only return to school if they were paid.
Marlin then promised to look into it and subsequently informed the union that all the government-subsidised schools had received their cheques to make the retroactive payment to teachers. He said though that the public schools wouldn’t be able to receive their retroactive money until next Wednesday, February 27, as their salaries were processed simultaneously with those of civil servants.
The teachers didn’t agree with the approach that only some would be paid now and others later, and voted on a motion to continue meeting until all were paid.
Their motion, which was passed unanimously, read: “Teachers will continue action at WIFOL until 100 per cent of the teachers collect and get their retroactive pay in their hands. Teachers will continue to stand together until all are paid and will continue to stand together with the understanding no teachers are penalised in any form or fashion by any school boards or government for this action.”
Members of National Alliance, representatives of the Windward Islands Health Care Workers Union, former President of the Windward Islands Civil Servants Union (WICSU) Patricia Pantophlet and of the union representing GEBE workers all turned up at yesterday’s meeting at the WIFOL building to give their support to the teachers and encourage them to continue their action.
The Foundation for Catholic Education confirmed having received a cheque for the payment of the retroactive salaries to its employees. The board said it immediately had started processing the payments to its teachers via their bank accounts.
“Teachers should receive their money by late Friday afternoon or on Monday, if everything works out according to the plan,” the school said in the release. “All teachers employed by the Catholic School Board are expected to return to work on Friday, February 22.”
The board said this meant that all primary school teachers were expected to attend the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) conference at Genevieve de Weever School today, Friday.
The board said too that St. Dominic High teachers had been contacted and “expressed that they will be back at school to teach today, Friday, February 22. All students attending St. Dominic High School are expected back at school on Friday, February 22, as the regular timetable will be in place. Parents are asked to make sure their children attend school,” it was stated in the release.
SVOBE announced in a press release signed by Executive Director Joseph Rogers that it had received the payment from Government for retroactive salaries late Thursday afternoon and the payroll would be processed and sent to the various banks this morning to be deposited on individual accounts.
It said persons who collected their payments by cheque could pass by the office and collect them. It concluded: “As there is no reason to continue the actions the school board expects all personnel to be back at school on Friday, February 21.”
