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Teachers demand change in work contract
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Posted on Apr 13 1999
Teachers of the Public School System, who are planning to leave the CNMI in June, are asking Commissioner of Education Rita H. Inos to waive the 10 percent liquidated damages contained in their employment contract.
In an open letter circulated during the Board of Education meeting held at Oleai, teachers considered this provision in their contract as a penalty and should not be enforced.
This provision allows PSS to hold 10 percent from the last salary of employees who have resigned to pay for any fees incurred while both parties are completing the clearance requirement.
According to the letter, as a result of this 10 percent penalty, some teachers would opt to leave PSS without making the proper notification of their departure.
“This will affect the education of our children in the Commonwealth because the PSS administration will not have the advance notice necessary to replace those teachers,” it said.
The letter also pointed out that teachers who honored their commitment with PSS and stayed until the end of the school year should be presented with the waiver option.
Last December, the PSS temporarily waived this 10 percent provision in a move to account the number of teachers who will be returning after the Christmas break amid reports of mass resignation because of the pending 10 percent salary cut.
In a memorandum, Inos offered this “one time deal” to teachers who wanted to terminate their employment with PSS in the middle of the school year provided they will notify her office before the Christmas break.
“Those teachers who remained to complete the school year should now be given with the same option,” the letter said, adding that this year’s batch should be allowed to leave without penalty.
