WKSU News: Cincinnati Catholic teachers unionize in response to new "morality clause"

Friday, May 16, 2014 Cincinnati Catholic teachers unionize in response to new "morality clause" Some teachers are unhappy about the new contracts that limit public positions on social issues Story by LYNDSEY SCHLEY

Some Cincinnati Catholic school teachers are unionizing after a controversial contract change.

Courtesy of Brett Levin

Some Catholic school teachers in southwest Ohio have formed a union. For Ohio Public Radio, WNKU’s Cheri Lawson reports that they’ve organized in response to a new restrictive employment contract adopted by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and similar to one imposed in Cleveland.

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The controversial agreement has drawn national attention because of a morality clause that spells out actions that could cause teachers to lose their jobs. Among them are showing public support for abortion, sex outside of marriage and same-sex unions.

Jennifer Teleha has taught for eight years at Ascension School in Kettering. She helped organize the group of educators who want to enter into collective bargaining under the umbrella Southwest Ohio Catholic Educators Association or SWOCEA.

“It is a form of collaboration between employer and employee. it has a process to it to make sure this communication is civil,it is open it is respectful,it is positive,it is empowering for both parties involved. Nobody has dominance over the other party”

Teleha says the union is in it’s infancy. So far only two schools of the 93 affected by the contract have joined SWOCEA.