AFFILIATED WITH NATIONAL & STATE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
LABOR & CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS

Harrison Teachers Rally

Hundreds of teachers, union members, and community residents met in front of Harrison Ave. School at 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday night to show their support for the Harrison Association of Teachers, AFT #2713 in their quest for a contract. Harrison teachers have worked for almost a year under a contract that expired last June.

Teachers from all over Westchester and Putnam County as well as other union members representing many of the diverse locals of the AFL-CIO were on hand to lend their support. Speaker after speaker called upon the Harrison Board of Education to treat the teachers with respect and come to a fair and equitable contract with them. All avowed to stand behind the teachers as long as it took to get a contract. Alan Lubin, Executive Vice President of the 585,000 member New York State United Teachers came down from Albany to pledge their support.

After the rally, participants marched to the Louis M. Klein Middle School to attend the Board of Education meeting. A forty-five minute period was allocated for the public to speak at the meeting and only Harrison staff, students of residents were allowed to address the board. Karen Magee, President of the Harrison Association of Teachers spoke about the dedication of Harrison Teachers, the quality of their teaching, their patience during the long year without a contract, and their community service. She called upon the Board of Education to attend negotiating sessions and become active participants in the process. The Board was also addressed by students, a former Board of Education member and other Harrison residents who praised the quality of the Harrison teachers and called upon the Board of Education members to become personally involved in the settlement of the contract and to treat the teachers with respect.