32BJ SEIU is today urging the School Reform Commission to ensure that interim CEO, Leroy Nunnery II is directly involved in any future negotiations with School District Workers. The following statement, attributable to 32BJ SEIU District 1201 Leader, George Ricchezza will be read at today’s SRC meeting:
“The new SRC leadership has an important opportunity to provide responsible management that will do right by working families and restore jobs for school district workers who are critical to the safety of our children. Eliminating half of the workforce that supports our school system – including all school bus drivers -- would decimate our schools’ ability to function and ensure our kids’ safety.
It’s in everyone’s best interest for the SRC to work in partnership with school workers, who are already at a breaking point and doing more with less. Putting more than 1,300 of these men and women out of work will not just make life more difficult for these workers and their families, but would leave kids less safe and hurt our struggling economy.”
32BJ represents more than 2,600 Philadelphia public school aides, bus drivers, attendants, mechanics, building engineers, cleaners and maintenance workers. More than 1,300 of these workers have received layoff notices, but all provide a variety of critical services, including making emergency repairs to school roofs, air conditioning and floors.
32BJ represents more than 10,000 workers employed in K-12 school districts, including in Philadelphia, New York City, and other districts throughout New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
With more than 120,000 members in eight states, including 7,000 in Philadelphia, 32BJ SEIU is the largest property services union in the country.
updated 10/26/2011
