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Civil Disobedience: Over 100 New Jersey Teachers jailed.
From: Webmaster (webmaster@kids-right.org)
This is a message from a mailing list, members@kids-right.org http://www.kids-right.org/ To unsubscribe from this list at anytime, send email to Majordomo@kids-right.org with the following 1 line in the BODY of the message (Subject is ignored). unsubscribe members ====================================================================== Good People, We'd like to call all your attention to a recent News Story, covered earlier this week by both ABC Network News and the New York Times. Over 100 school teachers have been jailed for violating a return-to-work order of a New Jersey Judge. Below we have two complete articles from the New York Times. We're sending this as an example of Civil Disobedience, but more importantly to make us all think about sacrifice. It appears these teachers are being jailed over a job contract dispute? If they are willing to do this -- what should parents be doing that have had their very children taken from them? We express frustration because political leaders are not listening to us -- but perhaps first we need to "act" like we mean it. Will the teachers succeed -- who knows? But we can be sure each of the jailed teachers knows personally -- "I really stood up for what I believed in." We can certainly admire their willingess to act as a "team." The difference between this and NonViolent Action? If we see the key elements as being Faith, Love, and Personal Sacrifice -- perhaps the only thing missing is 'love' for the school board. And perhaps some of the teachers do feel that way. That they are accepting jail not because the school board members are "idiots," but because they want to make the strongest personal statement they can to show how unfair things are. And hopefully encourage the good people of the school board to try to see things their way.... When performed in that light, is it a good example for the students -- you bet! Imagine the effect an event like this would have when performed outside the office of a US Senator, who didn't really think Family Rights are a national issue? There is sure to be more coverage on this. Actions like this can often lead to hatred between those who were jailed and those were not, the 'scabs.' But if performed with Love, the individual bears no ill will to the others who did not participate. Let's worry about our own actions before those of others. The articles, along with links to the NY Times site follow: ---------- More Teachers Jailed in N.J. Strike December 5, 2001 By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) -- The number of striking teachers thrown in jail climbed over 100 on Wednesday as the schools superintendent said the labor dispute that has shut down the 10,500-student district for nearly a week had become ``a war.'' Negotiations were scheduled to resume Wednesday night between the Middletown Township Education Association and the town's Board of Education, but both sides appeared to be hardening their positions. ``It's become a war,'' Superintendent Jack DeTalvo said. The district's 17 schools have been closed since last Thursday, when about 1,000 teachers went on strike. They have defied a judge's order to return to work and 135 have been jailed this week. About 110 teachers broke ranks with the union Wednesday and returned to work, DeTalvo said. But classes were canceled again Thursday. At issue in the negotiations over a new contract is a board proposal that would require the teachers to pay more for health insurance. Among the teachers jailed Wednesday was Philip Couch, a 20-year veteran of the Middletown schools. He was handcuffed and taken away in a sheriff's van with five other teachers as his wife and children watched. ``Why did it have to come to this -- highly educated people standing up for what they believe in being led off to jail in handcuffs like common criminals,'' Karen Couch said. A handful of teachers have been excused by two judges because of medical problems or pressing family issues. Most who appeared in court were defiant in their refusal to return to work in the 10,500-student district. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Teachers-Strike.html?ex=10086048 86&ei=1&en=cb1fbbd862ea4621 ----- FREEHOLD, N.J., Dec. 4 - Forty- three more striking teacher-union members from Middletown, N.J., were sentenced to a week in jail today for defying a court back-to- work order, joining four colleagues already jailed. The contempt hearing is to resume here on Wednesday, and the jailings of union members - about 1,000 of whom went out on strike - seem likely to continue throughout the week unless the four-day walkout ends. Bargaining resumed tonight at a motel in Red Bank, with two state mediators assisting negotiators. About 10:30 p.m., a member of the school board negotiating team, Britt Raynor, said: "We're very concerned about the tachers being in jail. Hopefully, we can get this settled and those teachers will get out of jail post haste." The collective sobbing of teachers stunned by the start of the jailings late Monday afternoon gave way today to a mix of moods in the hallways and courtyard of the Monmouth County Hall of Records here, as Judge Clarkson S. Fisher Jr. continued imposing the sentences. Allyson Bajor, 12, stood crying in a hallway outside Judge Fisher's courtroom as her mother, Diane, 46, an art teacher, was led away in handcuffs. Mrs. Bajor paused and tried to cradle her daughter's cheeks in her hands. "You have to be good," Mrs. Bajor said. "You have to be strong." But other emotions predominated today. Instead, the hundreds of striking teachers and secretaries gathered outside the Hall of Records and in Judge Fisher's courtroom were defiant and exuberant, solemn as well as buoyant. During the morning, Judge Fisher sought to avoid the jailings at least three times by offering to order around-the-clock contract bargaining under his supervision if the teachers obeyed the order he issued on the first day of the strike last Thursday and returned to Middletown's 17 schools immediately. But the union's lawyer, Sanford Oxfeld, refused the offer. Almost to a person, 67 striking union members asked today by the judge and a lawyer for the Middletown Board of Education, Douglas J. Kovats, said they would not return to class until the Board of Education signed a fair contract settlement. Several teachers denounced the board during the questioning. Each time Judge Fisher found groups of three or four or five people in contempt and deputies led them out of the courtroom for processing, the 150 teachers in the courtroom stood and applauded their colleagues. Judge Fisher did nothing to silence these demonstrations. The atmosphere outside the Hall of Records was festive. Three members of the marching band of the Middletown North High School came with saxophone, trumpet and clarinet, and played pep tunes. About 10 members of the football team from Middletown South High School, which won a state championship game Saturday, came in support of the head coach and an assistant coach, both now in jail. Other teachers formed a phalanx outside a rear door and cheered handcuffed colleagues each time deputies led them to vans for the trips to the county jail. After the court sessions had ended, 400 teachers gathered in front of the Hall of Records and listened as a union leader took a bullhorn and read the names of the 47 now in jail. A union theme throughout the day was criticism of the Middletown School Board. In effect, the striking teachers turned Judge Fisher's process of asking them for the reasons they violated his order into a forum for attacking the board. The teachers called the board a dictatorial body that showed the union little respect. One teacher told the judge the board had likened teachers to members of the Taliban. "The board does not know the definition of good faith bargaining," one teacher, Victor Bayers, told the judge. Another, Lori Best, who was jailed today along with her husband, Charles, said she had taught in Middletown for 21 years. "In that whole 21 years, we've never settled a contract peacefully," Ms. Best said. Besides jailing 43 teachers and secretaries today, Judge Fisher declined to send 22 to jail because of a variety of family and medical problems. They were still found in contempt, however. Two other teachers told the judge they would obey his order and return to work. Another board lawyer, Michael Gross, said board officials had told him today that about 100 teachers returned to work, up from 50 on Monday. The union president, Diane Swaim, said she doubted that 100 had split with the union. But she acknowledged she did not know how many had gone back to work today. Today, Judge Fisher called in a second judge to question teachers. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/05/nyregion/05MIDD.html?ex=1008604957&ei=1&en =e5aa705617d9e711 ================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list at anytime, send email to Majordomo@kids-right.org with the following 1 line in the BODY of the message (Subject is ignored). unsubscribe members
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