The Williamsburg Charter High School fired lauded teacher Nichole Byrne Lau this month, in what she claims is retaliation for attempting to organize the school's faculty and gain better pay and benefits. New charter schools like Williamsburg are not bound by teachers' union contracts, and union leaders are holding up Lau's case as an example of the difficulties charter school teachers face when trying to unionize.
See "Teacher Says Charter School Fired Her for Organizing to Improve Pay Scale", Elissa Gootman, The New York Times, June 28, 2006