CT Supreme Court Rules in Favor of New Milford Teachers Union

NEW MILFORD, CT — The teachers union won big today, with the Connecticut Supreme Court ruling that the New Milford Board of Education was in violation of the collective bargaining agreement by extending the workday for teachers on various occasions.

Back in 2015, the union filed a grievance accusing the school board of extending the workday in the form of various open houses and evening events, in violation of the contract.

Today's decision mandates that the town compensate teachers for 20 hours of additional time they were required to work without pay, according to a press release from the Connecticut Education Association.

"This is a huge victory for us and for the teaching profession, and a testament to the incredible power of our union and expertise of CEA’s legal team," New Milford Education Association President Kim Patella said in the release.

In its first appearance in court four years ago, the case was ruled in favor of the union by an arbitrator. The school board escalated the case, first to the Superior Court in Litchfield, who again ruled in the union's favor, and later to the Connecticut Supreme Court whose verdict came down today.

"This case has proven that regardless of the number of times a board tries to get a ruling appealed, when we stand together as a unit, part of something we believe in, which is our union, we can prevail," Patella said.

The school board has scheduled a meeting for Thursday at 7 p.m. to review its options.