Court rules against Catholic union head
Published: November 3, 2009
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share thisA union leader who lost his teaching job at a Catholic high school last summer was considered an "at-will employee" and cannot pursue a wrongful termination lawsuit against the Diocese of Scranton, Luzerne County Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. ruled Monday.
Michael Milz, president of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers, sued the diocese and his former employer, Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre, claiming they targeted him for layoff in June 2008 because of his union activity.
Diocese spokesman Bill Genello said the diocese was "pleased with this decision." Mr. Genello rejected the claim that the layoff was a form of retribution.
"As was stated at the time of the teacher layoffs, neither Mr. Milz nor anyone else was fired," Mr. Genello said. "The layoffs were determined strictly according to the criteria used in previous years."
Those criteria included a teacher's seniority and level of certifications, Mr. Genello said.
At the time of his termination, Mr. Milz had been leading the union's fight for passage of a bill to amend state labor laws to provide protections for employees of religious entities and close the "loophole" that has left them with little recourse following termination of employment.
The bill would have given Mr. Milz a broader avenue to file the wrongful termination lawsuit, according to Mr. Milz's sons, Martin and Andrew. Both are attorneys and represented Mr. Milz in the lawsuit.
"People like my father don't have any right when it comes to how their employers treat them," Andrew Milz said. "That's why he and his colleagues in the union have been fighting for some way to have recourse."
Contact the writer: msisak@citizensvoice.com
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