Labor ruling has ‘religious’ colleges shaking
A small Catholic college in Riverdale, New York, recently got some
news that sent shivers through many religious schools: part-time faculty
have a right to form a union on campus. But that wasn't the worst of
it. The National Labor Relations Board also isn't convinced that the
Catholic school is actually Catholic.
According to Elbert Tellem,
the NLRB's acting regional director, Manhattan College can't prohibit
adjunct faculty from unionizing because the school's core purpose isn't
religious enough to trigger a labor law exemption.
Claiming an
infringement of religious liberty, the school is appealing the decision.
Observers say the case could have implications well beyond the
picturesque campus at the northern tip of the Bronx.
