HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. Jan. 23, 2012 — Teachers at the Evergreen Charter School have won the right to organize and affiliate with New York State United Teachers, but only after a bitter fight that led to the illegal firing of an 8 ½-month pregnant special education teacher for her work organizing the union.

Evergreen’s Board of Education was forced to voluntarily recognize their teachers’ desire to organize and affiliate with NYSUT in late December, after 16 of 20 teachers at the school signed cards October 4 expressing support for forming a union. In addition, more than 65 parents signed a petition supporting formation of what is now being called the Evergreen Charter School Staff Association.

Despite the successful organizing campaign, NYSUT said the union’s work is not yet done.

 NYSUT said Evergreen Charter School administrators illegally fired special education teacher Jill Haag — then 8 ½ months pregnant – on December 2 for her work organizing the union. Haag regularly wore a lanyard stating, “Unions and Charters Working Together” and engaged parents in signing the petition in support of the teachers’ union.

 Teachers and parents plan to rally in support of Haag — and the union — at Evergreen’s board meeting on January 25. The hourlong rally will begin at 4 p.m. at 605 Peninsula Blvd.

NYSUT has filed improper practice charges with the state Public Employment Relations Board seeking to have Haag re-instated.  The charges note that Haag had been warned by school Principal Maritza Meyers to tone down her public support for the union. Board President Gil Bernardino, executive director of Circulo de Hispanidad, a Hempstead-based human services agency, had instructed a school custodian to spy on Haag and report back his findings. And surveillance cameras were installed in the ceiling of Haag’s classroom.

“That was so upsetting, I’ll never forget it,” Haag said. “And what really got me was that it was such a tremendous waste of money. I remember thinking: ‘We have these children with all these needs. That money could have gone elsewhere.’”

Other teachers also bristle at the surveillance cameras in their classrooms, noting the time — and expense — of the cameras can be better used helping Evergreen’s students to succeed.

On Nov. 29, Haag was presented with a letter of discipline claiming she had been late to a class; out of compliance with the development of individualized student plans; and had scheduling management problems. She refused to sign the letter, and had kept her own paperwork to prove the charges of the student IEP compliances charges were inaccurate. She noted, too, that the letter made no mention of her union activities.

 “It was just a cover so that they could keep a paper trail on me,” she said of the charges.

Haag’s termination came just four days before she gave birth to her daughter — 6 lb. 11 oz., Rae Federica.

NYSUT, the state’s largest union, represents some 600,000 classroom teachers and other school employees; faculty and other professionals at the state’s community colleges, State University of New York and City University of New York, and other education and health professionals. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.

For more information, contact:

NYSUT Media Relations

(518) 213-6000, ext. 6313

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Additional article can be found at:

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/teacher-school-fired-me-for-forming-union-1.3473802