(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - An arbitrator has ruled the Buffalo School District retaliated against Teachers at City Honors for prevailing in an arbitration against the District and harmed the students’ education by eliminating 5.5 Teacher positions to fund Teacher Aides.

“The District ‘has once again shown its vindictiveness against its dedicated and hard-working Teachers and in doing so has harmed the education of our students.’  ‘This and other recent actions indicate that the era of good will and statements of support for teachers is but a mask for attacks on them,” Buffalo Teachers Federation (BTF) President said Monday (September 24th).

The arbitrator found and ruled:

The BTF has established by a preponderance of the credible evidence that the District has violated Article V E. (2), Article II B., and Article I B. of the Contract.  I find for the BTF because the District’s decision to eliminate 5.5 Teaching positions to finance the hiring of the sixteen Teacher Aides was not narrowly tailored to meet its economic needs and was not applied in a Union Membership neutral manner.  I find that the District’s decision to eliminate 5.5 BTF positions affected the quality of the City Honors’ Music program and English Department.  The remedy is for the District to cease and desist from future acts of reprisals of any kind against the BTF for the implementation of the Award in PERB Case number A2011-142.  The District shall also rescind its decision to eliminate 5.5 Teaching positions at City Honors.  Those cuts affected the quality of educational programs afforded to students and violate Article I B. which guarantees the “finest educational programs possible.”

To View the Arbitration Award, Go To: http://www.btfny.org/mail/images/arb_award_2018.pdf

To View the Entire Arbitration Decision, Go To: http://www.btfny.org/mail/images/arb_decision_ch.pdf