Newport teachers plan picket ahead of school year start

NEWPORT, R.I. (WLNE) — The Teacher’s Association of Newport (TAN) will hold an informational picket on September 3 at 8 a.m. outside of Pell Elementary School to address alleged contact violations.

The union is claiming that actions by Superintendent Colleen Jermain will push teachers to perform duties outside of their existing contract.

The union has filed four grievances and four unfair labor practice charges for what they describe as several contract violations and infringements of labor law.

“Colleen Jermain has stripped our schools of every math interventionist, removed the reading teachers, and eliminated behavioral specialists. She and her administration are setting up the students, families, and teachers of Newport for absolute failure,” said TAN President Jennifer Hole.

The picket is not a job action or strike.

September 3 is the first day for teachers to report and the school year begins the following day.

Superintendent Jermain provided the following statement regarding the planned picket:

At this time I will continue to remain hopeful that some type of resolution may be reached. I respect the teacher’s  right to picket. I am sorry for the upset the recent public actions are causing the parents and community. I hope the TAN leadership will agree to let our differences be resolved through the mediation/arbitration process; a process they requested and support those teachers that wish to set up their classrooms and come into the buildings now. We are following the TAN contract as we always do. If we must, let’s agree to disagree and let a third party help us resolve this if necessary and focus on our students and make their first day and their families a happy joyful experience.