Students arrive at Camden Catholic as teachers picket

As dozens of teachers huddled on picket lines along the roadway, students arrived at Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill this morning for the first day of classes since a strike was called on Friday.

"I guess there's going to be administrators and subs filling in. It's going to be chaos," said Theresa Amoriello of Cherry Hill. "Especially for my class, because we're seniors. This is a pretty intense time for us with college applications coming up and everything."

After negotiations with the Camden Diocese broke down over raises and a proposal to have some employees share the cost of health benefits, the Audubon-based Catholic Teachers Union called for work stoppages at Camden Catholic, Paul VI High School in Haddon Township, and Holy Spirit High School in Absecon.

The schools opened today, but Camden Catholic operated on an alternate-day schedule, with students involved in activities including "discussion forums" led by temporary and administrative staff on subjects such as college testing. On off days, students are expected to do online assignments from home.

"It's difficult. We, as parents, pay a large chunk of money for our kids to come here," said Evelyn Cruz, a Camden resident and diocese employee whose 15-year-old daughter attends Camden Catholic. "But the teachers have to get paid fairly."

Several teachers at Holy Spirit and at least one at Camden Catholic crossed the picket line, according to diocese spokesman Andrew Walton.

"If adults can't get along, so be it. But don't take it out on the kids," said a woman who entered Camden Catholic and would identify herself only as a nonunion teacher.

The diocese began to solicit applications for temporary teachers two weeks ago but as of today had not hired enough to resume the regular schedule at Camden Catholic.

"I don't know the number" who have applied, "but I can say they have received interest from individuals," Walton said.

The union has rejected a proposal by the diocese that would give teachers an average 5.2 percent pay increase over two years, the same as in the last four-year contract, and would require newly hired teachers to contribute toward their health-benefits plan.

The union said it had requested a 9 percent salary increase over two years and no employee contribution.

Neither side reported progress toward a return to the negotiating table yesterday.

"We haven't heard anything," said union president Bill Blumenstein.

Last time the teachers went on strike, in 1997, they were back within a week. Those gathered in front of Camden Catholic yesterday said they did not know when the current work stoppage might end.

"It will all depend on the pressure put on the diocese by the parents," said special-education teacher Rich Henderson.