Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Danger in public schools

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Danger in public schools

    I am employed at a public school in Hawaii. The public needs to know is that the school kitchens and custodial staff will be running shorthanded due to the Directed leave without pay imposed by UPW. The workers have to take two days a month leave without pay. No substitute workers are allowed to fill in. For each UPW worker at the school, the cafeteria and custodial staff will be working without their full crew. It means that bathrooms, classrooms and lawn area’s will not get cleaned. In the cafeteria it means that the workers will be rushing to get the meals out which may result in unsafe and unsanitary practices. The public should be concerned about this.

  • #2
    Re: Danger in public schools

    Hawaii Agreement With UPW Includes Furloughs

    More than 8,000 state and county blue-collar employees will receive a 5 percent pay cut and cover a bigger share of their health insurance under a tentative two-year agreement announced Thursday.

    The United Public Workers union, which represents about 8,500 government workers, has tentatively agreed to furlough days to achieve the labor savings. Employees would be required to take 14 days of so-called "directed leave without pay" for the remainder of the current fiscal year, which began July 1.
    So, would an option have been to take a 5% pay cut (like many workers have done during these hard economic times, both union and non-workers alike) instead of the furlough days? A cut would have resulted in the budget savings that the state was seeking, but at the same time avoided those "unsafe and unsanitary practices". If so, shame on the UPW for putting itself above the childrens' safety.

    Anyone know the details of the UPW's options?
    Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Danger in public schools

      Originally posted by Sayuri View Post
      In the cafeteria it means that the workers will be rushing to get the meals out which may result in unsafe and unsanitary practices. The public should be concerned about this.
      That's a pretty broad statement. I'd have to know more details before I get concerned. There may be other ways to deal with it.


      Originally posted by Amati View Post
      Anyone know the details of the UPW's options?
      For all the flak Lingle got over furloughs, unions (and I image workers) prefer furloughs over pay cuts.

      With pay cuts, you have to work to negotiate back to where you were. With furloughs, you get "back to normal" as soon as you go back on full-time. From the worker's point of view, with pay cuts, they give and get nothing in return. With furloughs, they get a few days for themselves.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Danger in public schools

        Originally posted by Amati View Post
        Hawaii Agreement With UPW Includes Furloughs



        So, would an option have been to take a 5% pay cut (like many workers have done during these hard economic times, both union and non-workers alike) instead of the furlough days? A cut would have resulted in the budget savings that the state was seeking, but at the same time avoided those "unsafe and unsanitary practices". If so, shame on the UPW for putting itself above the childrens' safety.

        Anyone know the details of the UPW's options?
        They were no options. The contract states 5% pay cut with 14 furlough days to be taken 2 days a month, December through June. The 2 days a month is firm. It would have been better for the schools if they could take the 14 days during school breaks. It works out that 5 days have to be taken during days when school is in session.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Danger in public schools

          Originally posted by GeckoGeek View Post
          That's a pretty broad statement. I'd have to know more details before I get concerned. There may be other ways to deal with it.
          The concern is that the custodian and cafeteria staff will be running shorthanded for 1 day a month in January, 2 days a month in Feb and April for each UPW worker they have on staff. The same work has to get done so it means the remaining workers will be stressed out and rushing to get things done which can result in unsafe and unsanitary conditions.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Danger in public schools

            Originally posted by Sayuri View Post
            The concern is that the custodian and cafeteria staff will be running shorthanded for 1 day a month in January, 2 days a month in Feb and April for each UPW worker they have on staff. The same work has to get done so it means the remaining workers will be stressed out and rushing to get things done which can result in unsafe and unsanitary conditions.
            Different staff will be gone on different days, yes? Or are all of them gone at the same time?

            If they are down one or two people at a facility for a day or two, with the remaining staff still there, how different is this from covering for a co-worker who is on vacation or sick leave that particular day?

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Danger in public schools

              Sayuri - are you a teacher at the school?
              "Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be."
              – Sydney J. Harris

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Danger in public schools

                Originally posted by Sayuri View Post
                The concern is that the custodian and cafeteria staff will be running shorthanded for 1 day a month in January, 2 days a month in Feb and April for each UPW worker they have on staff. The same work has to get done so it means the remaining workers will be stressed out and rushing to get things done which can result in unsafe and unsanitary conditions.
                They may need to schedule some simpler meals those days.

                What do they do when someone calls in sick?

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Danger in public schools

                  Originally posted by Sayuri View Post
                  They were no options.
                  Were options presented by the union for members to vote on? I realize that the final contract states what-is-what now, but didn't members get to vote during decision making? Those choices are what I'm wondering about, and how the members responded. [IF members had the opportunity to have a voice, that is!]
                  Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Danger in public schools

                    Originally posted by GeckoGeek View Post
                    They may need to schedule some simpler meals those days.
                    Simpler than chick patty on bun? or that exciting variant, chick patty with gravy?

                    Not every day can be pizza or chow fun, sure, but still...

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Danger in public schools

                      Originally posted by Pohaku View Post
                      Simpler than chick patty on bun?
                      Chicken nuggets and steamed rice?
                      Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Danger in public schools

                        Originally posted by Leo Lakio View Post
                        Different staff will be gone on different days, yes? Or are all of them gone at the same time?

                        If they are down one or two people at a facility for a day or two, with the remaining staff still there, how different is this from covering for a co-worker who is on vacation or sick leave that particular day?
                        Yes one staff member per day. The school I work at has two cafeteria workers so for four days one person has to cook, bake, serve breakfast, lunch and clean up. The custodial crew has 3 people so for six days 1/3 of the campus will be without coverage.

                        When a staff member is on vacation or sick a substitute is called in. Similar to when a teacher calls in sick.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Danger in public schools

                          Originally posted by anapuni808 View Post
                          Sayuri - are you a teacher at the school?
                          Yes I teach at that school. The faculty and staff are pretty tight so we know whats going on. We are very concerned about the welfare of the workers having to go above and beyond to cover for the people on leave and for the students who will be subject to the conditions that can result from this.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Danger in public schools

                            Originally posted by Amati View Post
                            Were options presented by the union for members to vote on? I realize that the final contract states what-is-what now, but didn't members get to vote during decision making? Those choices are what I'm wondering about, and how the members responded. [IF members had the opportunity to have a voice, that is!]
                            The members at my school told me when it was presented it was vague. They knew they would have to take 14 days Directed leave without pay but they were told it wouldn't affect daily operations. After they ratified UPW came up with the schedule.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Danger in public schools

                              Originally posted by GeckoGeek View Post
                              They may need to schedule some simpler meals those days.

                              What do they do when someone calls in sick?
                              Even with simpler meals, its still a lot of work to feed 300 students.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X