Philadelphia Teachers' Union Demands School District Come Up With Plan For Asbestos Remediation

Howard Monroe reports.

A JUDGE, SCHEDULED HER FORMALARRAIGNMENT FOR JANUARY 30TH.THE PHILADELPHIA TEACHERSUNION IS DEMANDING THAT THESCHOOL DISTRICT COME UP WITH APLAN FOR ASBESTOS REMEDIATION.TODAY THE UNION FILED ITS VERYFIRST LAWSUIT AGAINST THEDISTRICT ON THE MATTER."EYEWITNESS NEWS" REPORTERHOWARD MONROE HAS BEENFOLLOWING THIS STORY FOR WEEKSAND OUTSIDE DISTRICTHEADQUARTERS WITH TODAY'SDEVELOPMENTS, HOWARD.REPORTER: UKEE THIS ISLAWSUIT HERE FILED BY THETEACHERS UNION.IT IS 45 PAGES LONG AND NOWTHE CITY IS GETTING INVOLVED.WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THATPEOPLE TRUST THE PROCESS ANDWHAT HAS GOTTEN US INTO COURTRIGHT NOW IS PEOPLE STILLDON'T HAVE FAITH THAT WE HAVEA STANDARDIZED PROCESS.REPORTER: STANDARDIZEDPROCESS THAT REOPENING CLOSEDSCHOOLS AS A BASIS OF THELAWSUIT FILED BY PHILADELPHIATEACHERS UNION AGAINST THESCHOOL DISTRICT.NOW CITY LEADERS ARE LOOKINGTO APPOINT A THIRD PARTY TOADDRESS ASBESTOS CONCERNS, INTHE CITIES SCHOOLS.WE ARE LOOKING TOSTANDARDIZED HOW WE'RE GOINGTO BE DEALING WITH THEBUILDINGS, BUT I WANTPRINCIPALS AND TEACHERSFOCUSED ON ACADEMIC.REPORTER: MARIA SANCHEZ,REPRESENTS THE DISTRICT THATINCLUDES MCCLURE ELEMENTARYSCHOOL.STUDENTS THERE HAVE NOT HAD AFULL WEEK OF SCHOOL SINCEBEFORE CHRISTMAS, BECAUSE OFASBESTOS CONCERNS.IN A LAWSUIT FILED TUESDAY THEUNION SAYS THAT THE DISTRICTFAILED TO COMPLY WITH ITS OWNSTANDARDS, OF ASBESTOS TESTINGAND REMEDIATION.TEACHERS UNION ANNOUNCED THELAWSUIT ON MONDAY, PRIOR TOFILING IT.THE DISTRICT MUST DOBETTER.REPORTER: LAWSUIT CLAIMSTHAT THE DISTRICT IS VIOLATINGTEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND STAFFCONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS BY NOTPROVIDING SAFE LEARNINGENVIRONMENTS.THE LAWSUIT ALSO REFERS TO AFORMER TEACHER AT MEREDITHELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE BELLA VISTA NEIGHBORHOOD.SHE WAS RECENTLY DIAGNOSEDWITH MESOTHELIOMA AFTERTEACHING IN THE SCHOOL FORDECADES.IT IS A CHALLENGE WHEN WEARE DEALING WITH OLDERBUILDINGS.I ANTICIPATE THERE IS ASBESTOSIN PROBABLY MORE THAN HALF OFTHE REALLIES STATE IN THE CITYOF PHILADELPHIA.THE ISSUE IS HOW DO YOUADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.REPORTER: IN THE LAWSUITUNION SAYS IT WANTS A WRITTENPLAN ON HOW THE DISTRICT PLANSTO RESPOND TO AS WEST TOSSCONCERNS.AND THEY ALSO WANT ANAGREEMENT IN PLACE REGARDINGWHEN CLOSED SCHOOLS WILLREOPEN.THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAIDPREVIOUSLY IT WOULD SPEND OVER150 MILLION-DOLLAR TOREMEDIATE DAMAGED ASBESTOS.IT ALSO SAYS THAT EVERY SCHOOLHAS BEEN INSPECTED.IT IS NOT CLEAR WHEN THIS