Workers and Metro Council Bash Privatization in Schools

After two days of meetings by the Metro Council, workers and elected officials bashed the School Board for their handling of this year's budget.  The budget, which was approved in a 5-4 vote by the Board, proposed that nearly 700 custodians and groundskeepers be outsourced to a private company called GCA Services.

At the Council's Budget & Finance committee meeting on Tuesday, it was clear that the Metro Council was willing to seek alternative solutions to privatization if the School Board and Dr. Jesse Register were willing to work with them.  By nearly all indications, Register is not interested.  "What we learned here is that even if the Council gave Dr. Register more money to keep the custodians and groundskeepers as Metro employees - Register would use it for something else," said Doug Collier, President of SEIU Local 205.  "The School Board and Dr. Register have said from the beginning that their reason for outsourcing the custodians was because of a budget shortfall.  Now it looks like that was a big lie all along."

In addition to moving testimony by dozens of workers and their families at Thursday's public hearing, the Council members themselves weighed in.  Some begged the School Board to find a way to stop privatization, and some flat-out attacked the Board for their plan.  Council members Jason Holleman, Michael Craddock, Lonnell Matthews, Edith Langster, Jamie Hollin, Vivian Wilhoite, Emily Evans, and Erica Gilmore all asked the tough questions and advocated for MNPS support employees.

The final reading of this year's budget will be on June 15th at the Metro Courthouse at 6:00 pm.  We encourage all SEIU members, school employees, and their families to attend and ask the Council members to VOTE NO ON THE BUDGET.  For more information, contact the Union Hall at 227-5070.