Philadelphia Federation of Teachers presses for 100 percent payment to 100 percent of its members (computer problems)

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PHILADELPHIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS PRESSES FOR 100 PERCENT PAYMENT TO 100 PERCENT OF ITS MEMBERS

Story Filed: Thursday, October 21, 1999 5:16 PM EST

PHILADELPHIA, Oct 21, 1999 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Ted Kirsch, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, released the following statement today in response to remarks by school superintendent David Hornbeck:

"As a result of the Federation's news conference on Monday, the district has finally acknowledged the problems school employees are facing because of the difficult transition to the district's new payroll computer system.

"We are encouraged that Mr. Hornbeck is committed to paying by this Friday 90 percent of the employees who are waiting for paychecks -- seven weeks after the start of school. Our only interest is in seeing that 100 percent of our members are paid 100 percent of what they have earned. We still must insist that every employee is paid immediately and in full for all compensation due them -- including retroactive pay dating back to last summer, pay for teachers, secretaries and others who staff our evening school programs, overtime pay and compensation for extracurricular activities.

"We appreciate the resolution by Council Members Frank DiCicco and James Kenney urging the district to issue emergency 60 percent checks to employees who have not been paid. The council's support is encouraging to our members.

"We hope the district will quickly re-evaluate its training program and support capabilities to make it possible for employees to utilize the new computer system fully and effectively. Questions were raised almost immediately by some of our members about the training and support. These should have been given greater consideration last summer, when the issues were first raised.

"Finally, the letter from me, which David Hornbeck referred to during his news conference today, was dated Sept. 17. It was written as a good-faith gesture the day of the first payroll, before we knew that so many people were without paychecks and that the district's procedure for getting paychecks to them had broken down. Mr. Hornbeck failed to make reference to earlier and subsequent correspondence from the Federation, raising many of the concerns the district publicly addressed today."

For further information contact Barbara Goodman, PFT communications director.

SOURCE Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (C) 1999 PR Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.prnewswire.com

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), October 22, 1999

Answers

Paying people what they're owed. What a concept. Maybe the residents of Philadelphia should offer to pay 90% (or 60%) of what they owe in property taxes, and they'll get to the rest as soon as possible.

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), October 22, 1999.

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