Having made substantial concessions to the Philadelphia School District last year, the blue collar school workers union 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, responded today to the news that the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) made the tough decision to propose a pay freeze and health care changes to its membership.
Gabe Morgan, PA Director and Vice President of 32BJ SEIU, which represents the District’s maintenance, cleaning, and transportation employees, made the following statement:
This is yet another sad chapter in the Philadelphia schools crisis. As the Governor Corbett-manufactured schools crisis comes to a head, it’s clear that students, parents and unionized school employees will bear the brunt of the “shared sacrifice” our elected leaders extol.
Last year, the blue collar school district workers agreed to contribute $100 million from their wages to Philadelphia schools over the life of their contract. It was a difficult decision, but we committed to fight for public education and to ensure the safety of our children. Philadelphia teachers have demonstrated a similar commitment to do everything in their power to save Philadelphia schools. We stand with Philly teachers who perform a difficult job every day while earning 19 percent less than their counterparts in the suburbs.
Blue collar workers and teachers have demonstrated their commitment to the safety and education of our city’s children. Now it’s up to our elected leaders to rescue Philadelphia schools from Gov. Corbett’s path of destruction by demanding full funding now.
With more than 145,000 members; including 10,000 in the Philadelphia area; 32BJ is the largest property services union in the country.
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