District employees warned on walkout
Fort Worth Star Telegram - Saturday-April 8, 2006
District employees warned on walkout
By SHIRLEY JINKINS
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
ARLINGTON - Arlington school district employees were notified Friday that the consequences of any on-the-job walkout could be losing their jobs.
The district's memo was issued in response to calls by some immigrant-rights groups for a nationwide boycott Monday to protest proposed immigration legislation. Many Spanish-language radio stations have supported the boycott as well, although the largest and most organized demonstration planned so far in the North Texas area is set for Sunday in Dallas.
On Friday, the district's 8,000 employees received an e-mail from Superintendent Mac Bernd reminding them that "any employee who leaves his or her assigned work area without proper authorization will be terminated."
"While I respect any personal beliefs you may have regarding this issue, I am confident that your commitment to the students in our district will override any desire to participate in any walkout during business hours," Bernd's memo read.
"It's not a new policy, it's a reminder of our existing policy," said Veronica Sopher, Arlington school district spokeswoman.
Employees without access to e-mail were given the memo, and the district food service manager had employees in that department sign a statement verifying that they had received the memo, Sopher said. The e-mail and the memo were printed in English and Spanish.
Fort Worth district spokeswoman Barbara Griffith said the district was not issuing any such warning to its employees. The Mansfield, Keller, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Southlake Carroll districts also did not issue warnings.
Staff writers Eva-Marie Ayala, Diane Smith, Kelly Melhart, Katherine Cromer Brock and Jessamy Brown contributed to this report.
________________________________
District employees warned on walkout
By SHIRLEY JINKINS
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
ARLINGTON - Arlington school district employees were notified Friday that the consequences of any on-the-job walkout could be losing their jobs.
The district's memo was issued in response to calls by some immigrant-rights groups for a nationwide boycott Monday to protest proposed immigration legislation. Many Spanish-language radio stations have supported the boycott as well, although the largest and most organized demonstration planned so far in the North Texas area is set for Sunday in Dallas.
On Friday, the district's 8,000 employees received an e-mail from Superintendent Mac Bernd reminding them that "any employee who leaves his or her assigned work area without proper authorization will be terminated."
"While I respect any personal beliefs you may have regarding this issue, I am confident that your commitment to the students in our district will override any desire to participate in any walkout during business hours," Bernd's memo read.
"It's not a new policy, it's a reminder of our existing policy," said Veronica Sopher, Arlington school district spokeswoman.
Employees without access to e-mail were given the memo, and the district food service manager had employees in that department sign a statement verifying that they had received the memo, Sopher said. The e-mail and the memo were printed in English and Spanish.
Fort Worth district spokeswoman Barbara Griffith said the district was not issuing any such warning to its employees. The Mansfield, Keller, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Southlake Carroll districts also did not issue warnings.
Staff writers Eva-Marie Ayala, Diane Smith, Kelly Melhart, Katherine Cromer Brock and Jessamy Brown contributed to this report.
________________________________
posted by miguel @ 4:48 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home