Catholic High School Students Will Head Back Tuesday

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After more than a week on the picket lines, high school teachers in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia have voted Monday morning to accept a new, three-year contract, and will return to work. Bishop Shanahan High School was among the affected schools.

Unofficial reports state 589 Association of Catholic Teachers (ACT) members voted to approve the contract, 41 voted to reject the deal and one person abstained from voting.

Teachers headed back to school immediately after the vote; classes will resume Tuesday, Sept. 20.

Negotiations broke down over certain contract terms that union Vice President Irene Tori called "

"The Archdiocese made multiple concessions in our proposals and believes the contract offered to the teachers is equitable."

In the ensuing days, students' parents took to the Web through the Facebook group Catholic Parents Respond (CPR), urging both sides to quickly settle the contract and end the strike. CPR received nearly 1,300 likes, and members were planning to hold their own demonstration in Phildelphia on Monday evening.

A post from the moderator(s) reads: "Thanks to both the Archdiocese and the Teachers Union for agreeing on a new contract and getting our kids back in school tomorrow. Thank you also for the support from all of you parents. Tonight's rally is cancelled!!"

The full details of the contract have not been publicized yet.

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A joint statement by the Secondary School System of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Association of Catholic School Teachers Local 1776 states that they "have reached a tentative agreement for a new contract for high school lay teachers in the 17 Archdiocesan high schools." 

Both parties have agreed not to comment until after a general membership meeting of the union where teachers will vote on acceptance of the terms of the tentative agreement; the general membership meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 19, 2011 at Penns Landing Caterers, the release states.

If the teachers ratify the tentative agreement, teachers would return to their schools for orientation following the vote and classes would resume on Tuesday, Sept. 20.  

There was no school for students on Monday.