As you know, the Metro School Board is set to vote this coming Tuesday on a budget proposed by Jesse Register that, among other things, calls for a plan to outsource all the custodial and groundskeeping services in the school system to a private company.  This proposal would result in the lay off of some 700 mostly minority, low-paid workers who are kept out of poverty by a living wage, health insurance, and a meager pension - all of which are set to go away if Register has his way.

But it looks like the Register administration has decided to get ahead of the curve.  MNPS has posted the RFP (request for procurement) online at Nashville.gov and they've posted slides on Metro 3.  Register is advertising for a contract that hasn't been voted on by its elected board yet!  I've personally talked to three school board members so far about this.  None of them have seen a copy of an RFP, they've barely talked about one in their meetings, and they sure haven't cast a vote on it.

If this was intentional, you have to wonder what Jesse Register thinks about the school board that hired (and can fire) him by doing this.  He's practically thumbing his nose at them.  I can talk about what's actually in this RFP another time.  Suffice it to say, it confirms a lot of our worst fears about what employees will be offered if they stay on with the new company.

And I'll take this opportunity to remind you that this Monday, SEIU will be organizing a rally in support of the MNPS workers at a public hearing on the budget that the Metro Council has requested.  The rally starts at 5 and the public hearing starts at 5:30.  It will be held at Metro Southeast (also known as the old Genesco building), which is located at 1417 Murfreesboro Pike out near the airport.  Here's a leaflet with a map.

We encourage folks to speak at the public hearing on this issue and others.  If you are going to speak, don't forget to take a look at the research and resources we have in our Action Center.

As Metro Councilman Jamie Hollin points out on his blog and his Twitter, Thursday's public hearing on the Metro Schools budget was not televised on Metro 3.  Why?  Because nobody from the School Board requested a video crew.  How convenient.

Apparently, MNPS board chairman David Fox didn't think it was important for the public to see how Director of Schools Jesse Register wants to spend $633 MILLION of taxpayer money.  Certainly not when Register is proposing to privatize some 700 support staff who will lose the pay and health insurance benefits they need to raise their families and stay out of poverty.  Who needs to see all that messiness?  According to Councilman Hollin, who talked to officials at Metro 3, all Mr. Fox would have had to do was make a call or send an email and a TV crew would have been sent out.  Fox also had a habit of cutting off the microphone as soon as the speakers hit the two-minute mark; as if two minutes is enough time to convey a coherent argument about something as huge as an education budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars.  Oh, and generally the rule is that the public is given three minutes, not two, to speak at regular school board meetings and at Metro Council.

Those weren't the only shenanigans at the MNPS public hearing.  People who actually wanted to speak had to give advance written notice to the administration, which is unlike every other public hearing in Metro.  Any citizen can speak at a Metro Council public hearing, no advance notice required.

One woman almost lost her chance to speak because she couldn't get to the front of the line in time.  That was no easy feat, considering that there were nearly 500 people crammed into a room built for 216, with overflow out into the building's lobby and across the parking lot.  Those people, many of whom came to Berry Hill from all across the county, could not get in to witness the public hearing and they couldn't watch it on Metro 3 either. 

During his presentation, SEIU 205's president Doug Collier asked that the Board convene another public hearing on a Saturday to allow more participation and input from the citizens, but Chairman Fox never addressed that issue.   We have still not heard back from him or the Board on this issue.

It's worth asking if all this behavior is consistent with the school board's new policy on "Governing Style" that they passed unanimously only two days earlier at their regular meeting.  Among other things that policy says, "the Board... will be responsible for excellence in governing" and that the school board "make every reasonable effort to protect the integrity and promote the positive image of the district and one another."  The Board doesn't seem to be off to a good start with that policy so far, though calling another public hearing that citizens have a right to see would be a step in the right direction. 

We encourage you to contact your Board member and ask them to let the voters see how they're spending your money.

SEIU Local 205 President Doug Collier made the following statement at the MNPS Public Hearing on March 11 on behalf of the support staff that work in Metro Schools:

Mr. Chairman and School Board Members:

My name is Doug Collier. I am the President of SEIU Local Union 205 and a resident of Davidson County.

As you are aware, SEIU represents the Custodians and Groundskeepers in Metro Schools and we are strongly opposed to Dr. Register’s plan for a race to the bottom.

First, I’d like to point out that a large number of the workers being discussed here have been denied the opportunity to attend this Public Hearing. They are at work as we speak. I suggest another hearing be set on a Saturday and in a school auditorium where these folks can participate. After all, 700 workers and their families have the right to know how their wages and benefits are about to be slashed, and if they are to be offered poverty-level jobs. And yes, I as well as you, can look at the industry you’re about to privatize to and see that their history clearly demonstrates a role in furthering the plight of poverty for these workers.

I offer a solution to solve this problem, but before I do, I want this Board to know exactly who we are speaking of and just a little reminder of recent history.

Every year for the past several years this group of Custodians has been singled out for cuts and work load increases. Last year, 66 Custodians and 32 Campus Supervisors were laid off. These are real human beings and families - not just positions.

Out of the group of approximately 650 Custodians working for MNPS who get singled out time and time again, 88% are minorities and 78% are male. Today, a Custodian Helper begins at $9.97/hour. If they work hard and do all the right things required by the school system, after 12 years of employment, they would make $12.82. A Lead Custodian begins at $11.13/hour and would top out at $16.72 over 12 years. Please tell me what is wrong with this picture? National reports show that African-American men suffer an extremely higher rate of unemployment and under-employment than any other group. For the life of me, I cannot understand why that should be the case, particularly here in Nashville. The population in Davidson County is 79% white. We are touted as the “Healthcare capital of the U.S.”, the “Tourism Capital of the South”, and the “Country Music Capital of the World”. With all this, you’re telling the public of Davidson County the best we can do is to drive more minorities under the Federal poverty level. I do not believe this is the best we can do for Custodians, Groundskeepers, Bus Drivers, and the rest of the MNPS system.

Therefore, I propose the following:

Davidson County voters set the structure for tax increases just a few short years ago based upon a certain amount of flexibility. Within this flexibility, there is a range and a limit to which they were willing to go. They have in essence said, “beyond a set limit, you must come to us to get permission to raise property taxes”. We fully support and respect that notion, but let’s be clear – the city has not even come close to reaching that threshold where a referendum must go before the voters. To that end, we would like the School Board to submit a revised budget to the Mayor and the Council that meets the NEEDS you have identified, not the WANTS, and which stays within this agreed-upon property tax limits set by the voters. Those needs should include rewarding these crucial MNPS support employees for what they do and which do not single out minorities to make all the sacrifice.

I feel that I must remind you that for the last two years, every Metro Council member I’ve spoken to about the schools budget has stated, “we gave the Schools everything that they’ve asked for”. The Mayor’s office has repeatedly said in the last two years that the schools got a fully-funded budget. As a result, the School Board has had to take the rap for laying off workers. If this current proposal passes, the Board will end up taking the heat again for furthering the plight of minorities and Nashville’s working families.

I urge you to submit a real needs budget and then work with and support the Metro Council to establish the proper rate for funding.

Thank you.

SEIU Local 205 President Doug Collier talked to WKRN News 2 about Dr. Register's proposal to layoff, outsource, or privatize some 700 support staff jobs at Metro Nashville Public Schools.

"You see them either without health insurance, without retirement benefits and it's devastating to the community, and one thing we don't need here in Nashville is more people under employed or unemployed," Collier said.

Get the full story here.

Today, Dr. Jesse Register presented his proposed budget for the Metro Nashville Public Schools.  Register's plan would outsource or privatize over 700 custodians, groundskeepers, maintenance, and clerical staff.  In addition, the proposal would reduce the number of hours per day and days per year that bus drivers work.  The full budget proposal is available for download at the MNPS website.
 
In response, SEIU Local 205, who represents MNPS support staff, and United Steelworkers Local 9426 are encouraging MNPS employees, their families, and concerned citizens in the community to voice their opinions on this issue at a Public Hearing on the budget proposal.  That hearing will be this Thursday, March 11 at 5:00 pm at the school administration building, which is located at 2601 Bransford Avenue (37204) in Berry Hill. 
 
Also, if you are interested in speaking at the Public Hearing, you may sign up to speak by contacting the Board adminstrators.  Speakers are allotted no more than two minutes.
 
Thank you for your support and please spread the word!