Published: June 17, 2010

NEW YORK - With little cleaning staff and supplies in the schools, caused by previous cuts, the situation could become worse with the proposed budget cuts this year, with adverse effects on the health of students, as workers and officials said yesterday during a public protest.

Hundreds of public school cleaners in the city gathered yesterday in front of City Hall to express concern over the announced cuts of $9 million.

One was the Puerto Rican Edwin Figueroa, 52, who works at IS 84, The Bronx, for 22 years. "It's the worst that the city can give their employees at this time," said Figueroa, who is the father of two sons and two grandchildren who attend public schools.

Figueroa explained that currently each worker is responsible for cleaning up two whole floors but previously was only one. "There are 30 rooms, a staircase, 10-20 baths and then we have to move the machine to shine the floor," added Edwin, who began working in the same building in 1988 when it had 9,000 employees (cleaning public schools). "We are now less than 4,800. We are already overburdened, "he said.

"Proper cleaning and sanitation are essential not only for the appearance of the schools ... but also to prevent germs and bacteria to spread among our youth," said Hector Figueroa, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 32BJ, the union representing property service workers.

According to Figueroa, budget cuts over the past seven years had led to the elimination of a thousand janitors. He said the new cuts could cost another 240 jobs.

In the midst of budget negotiations, the council Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Manhattan) and Daniel Dromme (D-Queens) joined the crowd to express their opposition to any cuts in the budgets of schools, including cleaning and maintenance.

"As a former teacher, I know firsthand that without a clean and safe environment in our schools  we cannot offer quality education," said Dromme. "These unfair budget cuts threaten the health and future of our children," he said.