Superintendent Williams going to court to challenge latest ruling regarding voluntary teacher transfers

Phil Rumore, President of Buffalo Teachers Federation said on the Buffalo News live chat today that Superintendent James A. Williams is appealing the ruling of the arbitrator last Thursday regarding the violation of the BTF contract when he denied the voluntary requests of teachers seeking  transfers last spring.

Rumore said, "First the superintendent has announced he is going to go to the courts to challenge the arbitration. He will, however, not prevail, and is just creating more chaos.  However, the superintendent has announced the district will appeal. We will be going to court within a week to enforce the arbitration. Stay tuned." Also, when asked about the wage freeze and why BTF going to Federal Court on the matter Rumore responded: "...remember that we had unanimous decisions in the two lower courts that were reversed in the Court of Appeals. The impact on a teacher's lifetime earnings by being kept three steps behind where they should be is as much as $100,000. We believe that we are right and that this is money that should be spent because what was done was wrong." When asked about the recent lay-offs in the Buffalo Schools, Rumore responded: "...with a $900 million budget and apparently no exempt administrative positions cut, I don't think any layoffs need to occur."