Teachers at Catholic high schools ink contract after close vote

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone is kissed by a supporter as the March for Marriage rally ends outside the Supreme Court in Washington, DC on June 19, 2014. Speakers at the rally and march promoted the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman, and pushed back against the notion that public opinion is heavily in favor of revoking restrictions against gay marriage. (Photo by T.J. Kirkpatrick/Special to The Chronicle) less San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone is kissed by a supporter as the March for Marriage rally ends outside the Supreme Court in Washington, DC on June 19, 2014. Speakers at the rally and march promoted ... more Photo: T.J. Kirkpatrick, Special To The Chronicle Photo: T.J. Kirkpatrick, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close Teachers at Catholic high schools ink contract after close vote 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

Teachers at four Catholic high schools were sharply divided as they approved a contract with San Francisco’s archdiocese.

They voted Wednesday, 90 to 80, to ratify a three-year contract. The move capped a contentious fight over the extent to which their private lives could be linked to their jobs, after Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone initially proposed adding morality clauses to the contract and an employee handbook.

The new contract states that “the purpose of Catholic schools is to affirm Catholic values through the Gospel of Jesus Christ” and that teachers “are expected to support the purpose of our Catholic schools in such a way that their personal conduct will not adversely impact their ability to teach in our Catholic high schools.”

The contract does not include the specific morality clauses. The clauses said sex outside marriage, homosexual relations, the viewing of pornography and masturbation are “gravely evil” and opposed contraception and abortion as well.

The archbishop’s push ignited a firestorm in San Francisco, and raised the question of whether a gay teacher could be fired in one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world. It also played a central role in the labor negotiations.

Ted deSaulnier, a religion teacher at Archbishop Riordan High School and an executive member of the teacher’s union, supported the revamped contract.

“I believe in the end the archbishop compromised and that we negotiated in good faith and he did as well,” deSaulnier said. “I want the most protection for any Catholic school teacher to have the fullest and most complete private life they can have. I believe this language gives that protection to me and every member of my union.”

But, he added, it doesn’t resolve the larger tension. “Our contract is not going to solve the conflict between a 2,000-year-old religious institution and the changing landscape of civil rights in the United States.”

A key reason many teachers opposed the contract was their belief that Cordileone could still fire or punish them for a number of alleged offenses, from being gay to having a child through artificial insemination.

In a statement, Cordileone said he appreciated that “the negotiations included a rich discussion about the mission and purpose of Catholic education and the vital role that our high school teachers play in carrying out that mission.”

More than 300 union members are under the contract, teaching at Sacred Heart Cathedral and Riordan in San Francisco, Marin Catholic in Kentfield and Serra in San Mateo.

The contract gives teachers a 2 percent raise each year of the three-year contract, as well as some assurance of job protection, even if their private lives don’t line up with church teachings. Disputes over teacher conduct on and off the job would be subject to grievance procedures.

Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreen