Are Detroit's sick-outs legal? School district takes teachers to court.
Detroit teachers on Monday plan to rally outside a courthouse where a judge is set to hear a case that could force them to stop skipping class to protest working conditions in the city鈥檚 public schools.
The so-called "sick-outs" have led to the closure of dozens of Detroit schools over the past two weeks, keeping thousands of students from going to class. On Wednesday, the Detroit school district filed a lawsuit to stop the absences, but a judge that would have halted the sick-outs immediately.
The judge on Monday will consider the district鈥檚 request for a preliminary injunction 鈥� and representatives from both sides of the issue have expressed intention to forge ahead with their cause. 聽
鈥淭he DFT [Detroit Federation of Teachers] is pleased that the court denied the district鈥檚 request for an immediate restraining order, and we look forward to keep fighting for our members, our community, and the schools our kids deserve,鈥� said DFT interim president Ivy Bailey .
鈥淚t鈥檚 extremely important that the court play a role in the resolution of this issue,鈥� said Michelle Zdrodowski, spokeswoman for Detroit Public Schools (DPS), in a statement. 鈥淲e look forward to the opportunity to inform the court of the serious effects that these continued sick-outs have on the district, its students and their families at the hearing on Monday.鈥�
Among the concerns teachers have raised include pay and benefit cuts, class sizes, and the city鈥檚 ongoing struggle to manage the district鈥檚 debt 鈥� as well as cold classrooms, water-logged gymnasiums, and facilities infested with rodents and covered in mold.
鈥淭he conditions in this school are inhuman, deplorable, dilapidated,鈥� said Detroit teacher Lakia Wilson . 鈥淚t鈥檚 not healthy. We are literally sick.鈥�
Mayor Mike Duggan (D) has validated the teachers鈥� concerns聽but聽his power to enforce change is limited; Detroit schools have been under state oversight for the past seven years, run by an emergency manager appointed by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder.
Governor Snyder has attempted to restructure the Detroit school system over the years, but the legislature has so far been unable to reach an agreement on his plan, which would involve a $715 million state investment to offset the district's $500 million debt and reorganize the entire system under a new name, as聽The Monitor has reported.
Since the sick-outs, however, state lawmakers have tried to step in. On Thursday, legislators聽proposed legislation that would place such work stoppages in the category of illegal strikes.
鈥淚f our current state law isn't sufficient to prevent activists from hurting kids, it's time we strengthen it,鈥� said state Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) of St. Clair Township, 45 miles northeast of Detroit.
This report contains material from The Associated Press.
