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Democrats target SRC’s power over unions

Though it faces long odds in a Republican-controlled legislature, a group of Philadelphia Democrats hopes to help the city teachers' union by stripping the School Reform Commission of its extraordinary powers.

Though it faces long odds in a Republican-controlled legislature, a group of Philadelphia Democrats hopes to help the city teachers' union by stripping the School Reform Commission of its extraordinary powers.

Legislation introduced Monday would take away the SRC's ability to terminate collective-bargaining agreements and lay off without regard to seniority.

It comes in response to the SRC's promise to cancel contracts and impose terms on its five unions if they do not agree to $75 million in givebacks to help bridge the Philadelphia School District's massive budget gap.

June 30 is the deadline set by the SRC for the givebacks. Jerry Jordan, president of the largest union, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, has refused to negotiate, saying his members have a contract with concessions in place.

The bill is unlikely to be considered before the end of the legislative session.

The SRC, under the state takeover law, has the power to cancel contracts. It has never used it, but is threatening to do so.

State Sen. Vincent Hughes, one of the lead sponsors of the Senate legislation, said in an interview that the SRC is exceeding its authority.

"It's our basic belief that a contract is a contract; it's an agreement that needs to be fulfilled," Hughes said. "The unilateral termination of that is really unacceptable and starts to march the School District and, I think, labor relations down the wrong track."

Hughes said the SRC's power to cancel union contracts flies in the face of "good, solid labor relations that have existed here in Pennsylvania for decades."

The legislation would also strip the SRC of its ability to override seniority.

The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers is in court over a battle to stop the district from exempting from layoffs 200 teachers at Promise Academies, the district's overhauled schools. Hughes said the district needs to negotiate such a change.

Hughes and Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D., Phila.), the ranking Democrat on the Labor and Industry Committee, are the lead sponsors for the Senate version of the bill; in the House, Rep. James Roebuck (D., Phila.), Democratic chair of the Education Committee, is the lead sponsor.