Lay Teachers' Union Ratifies Contract with Archdiocese
A union representing 3,000 lay teachers at 206 Catholic schools has ratified a four-year contract with the Archdiocese of New York.
The Federation of Catholic Teachers announced yesterday that its members overwhelmingly approved the tentative contract reached last month.
The president of FCT, Mary-Ann Perry, says teachers will get a 15% raise and save $1,200 in family health insurance payments over the life of the contract.
Meanwhile, the Lay Faculty Association, which represents 450 teachers at 10 Catholic schools, has refused to accept similar terms from the archdiocese.
During Pope Benedict XVI's visit to New York City in April, the LFA staged a walkout. A spokesman, Henry Kielkucki, says the LFA met with the archdiocese on Friday but that no new talks are scheduled.
