Striking Teachers in Pittsburgh -- now without a contract -- loom larger for early 2008

Here is some dirt about an important player in the Pittsburgh school landscape. I don't find this to be too, too, too bad. Union workers have a long tradition of being part of the 'company' and being on 'leave.' Railroad, steel workers and others in other unions and in other industries have been working on behalf of the members while NOT doing the day-to-day job of the rank-and-file.

John Tarka might not be elected by his union members. If that was the case, he'd go back to the classroom, I'd assume.

John Tarka should be getting the same benefits, such as retirement, as the people he represents. Then his deal is like their deal. So, I'm not as outraged as the dirt digging from Simon. But, this is worthy of general knowledge.

Message from Simon (part 1, but not in timeline order)

Dear members of the media (covering the Pittsburgh teacher contract dispute),

With the assistance of Union President, John Tarka, strike authorization was recently issued by the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers (PFT). If there is a strike in the Pittsburgh school district it will be the biggest teacher strike in Pennsylvania in over 15 years (28,000 students, 2,600 teachers). In response to this threat, StopTeacherStrikes, Inc. has publicly posted the individual names & salaries of all Pittsburgh teachers, alongside census data and teacher union campaign contributions at its web site (www.stopteacherstrikes.org). Direct link:

http://www.stopteacherstrikes.org/index.php?pr=Allegheny

There is interesting new information emerging about PFT President, John Tarka. Below is communication with Pittsburgh school district officials. Christopher Berdnick is the Business Manager & Ira Weiss is the district solicitor - please feel free to verify this information with these sources.

John Tarka is listed as a Pittsburgh public employee being paid a salary of $77,800 while on "special assignment". As seen below, his special assignment is working for the private organization called the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. And he's been on this "assignment" for the last 24 years. Here is how it works:

- Tarka is paid his salary every year by the school district and gets annual raises per the union contract (CBA) just like any other teacher

- Tarka receives pension benefits and accrues years of service from the school district just like any other teacher

- Tarka puts in for annual leave every year which gets automatically approved

- The Union reimburse the school district each year for the cost of Tarka's salary/pension benefits while he is on leave

- The Union separately pay Tarka an additional $20,000/year as reported on their federal LM2 disclosure form

So we have the amazing situation where PFT Union President, John Tarka, is able to "use" a public school district while actually working for the union ... thus moving towards a fully vested, taxpayer-funded, guaranteed defined-benefit pension for the rest of his life. At retirement he'll go straight onto the taxpayer's dime, even though he hasn't taught in the Pittsburgh school district in 24 years. It is outrageous.

It is one more example of the abusive power of the teachers' union in Pennsylvania. If John Tarka is not working for the school district then he should be on union payroll and his pension should be private and linked to his work for the union, and not to his non-work for the school district.

PFT union president, John Tarka, has no moral authority to be involved in issuing strike threats inside the Pittsburgh school district. Because Tarka stands to personally gain from additional public monies spent on teacher benefits, yet he is not even teaching at Pittsburgh.

---
Simon Campbell
President, StopTeacherStrikes Inc.
668 Stony Hill Rd. #298
Yardley, PA 19067
Tel: 215-586-3573
http://www.stopteacherstrikes.org

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--- Original Message ---
From: "Berdnik, Christopher"
To: Simon Campbell
Cc: Weiss, Ira
Sent: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 08:54:36 -0500
Subject: RE: Question about John Tarka

1. Yes
2. I do not believe so under the language in the CBA
3. Yes
4. Yes

---

-----Original Message-----
From: Simon Campbell [mailto:SCampbell@stopteacherstrikes.org]
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 1:41 PM
To: Berdnik, Christopher
Cc: Weiss, Ira
Subject: RE: Question about John Tarka

Wow. Does it require school board approval each year to keep his annual leave going? Does the school board have the legal right to say "no" to his leave request and require that he return to the classroom?

My presumption is that Mr. Tarka has been getting annual raises per the CBA as an employee since 1984? And I also assume that his years on leave count as years of service for the purpose of calculating his pension benefits?

---
Simon Campbell
President, StopTeacherStrikes Inc.
668 Stony Hill Rd. #298
Yardley, PA 19067
Tel: 215-586-3573
http://www.stopteacherstrikes.org

---

----
On Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:36:02 -0500, Berdnik, Christopher wrote:

Mr. Tarka has been on a leave for union business since 8/23/1984, and applies every school year to be on a leave for that period.

As a side note, I don't think that Pgh Public Schools has that many students in the district as stated above.

---

Update

Pittsburgh talk radio, Marty Griffin, discusses Pittsburgh Union President John Tarka's "sweetheart deal" (Tarka calls in to speak!):
http://www.stopteacherstrikes.org/Media/Radio/GriffinJan3.mp3

Central PA talk radio, Bob Durgin, on same topic:
http://www.stopteacherstrikes.org/Media/Radio/DurginJan3.mp3