Southfield school board fires 350 dedicated employees
MEA will continue to fight efforts to bust unions, privatize support staff
Despite the persistent efforts of MEA members both at and away from the bargaining table, the Southfield Board of Education voted 5-2 last night to fire more than 350 custodial, maintenance and transportation employees—and MEA members—and sell their services to private companies. Read more about what happened Tuesday night in Southfield.
In a news release issued this morning, MEA vowed to closely monitor the school district and the out-of-state companies they contracted with, holding them all accountable to their promise that such a move would save money and improve education. Click here to read the news release.
"The Southfield school board members said this decision was in the best interests of students—and we're going to hold them accountable for this decision," said MEA President Iris K. Salters in this morning's release. "Student test scores better improve, class sizes better get smaller, necessary classroom supplies better be provided. And, most of all, the district better actually save at least $6 million a year. If not, MEA will show the community how the school board lied when it made this decision."
The board's unconscionable action comes after a report released by the Great Lakes Center pointed to evidence that privatization does not necessarily save schools money or offer improvements in support services. Click here to read more.
MEA will continue to fight these blatant attempts to bust unions, harm local communities and economies and threaten the education of public school students.
Troy custodian Mel Sledzinski named Michigan School Support Person of Year
State Board of Education President Kathleen Straus congratulates Troy school custodian and MEA member Mel
Head custodian Mel Sledzinski started his day on May 1 getting the gymnasium at Wass Elementary School in Troy ready for special visitors and a special student assembly.
State school superintendent Mike Flanagan and State Board of Education members Kathleen Straus and Elizabeth Bauer were coming to Wass to recognize students and staff for their continued outstanding performance on the mathematics portion of the MEAP test.
Little did ‘Mr. Mel’ know that he was getting the gym ready for his own surprise party.
Report urges caution for schools contracting out support services
MEA ESP Caucus president calls study ‘a quantitative, unbiased resource we can use to fight privatization.’
A new report that examines the outsourcing of transportation, food and custodial services in public schools urges caution before rushing to privatize.
Vermont school administrators Drs. William Mathis and Lorna Jimerson say in their report that privatizing sometimes saves districts money, but many times it does not. Read more.
Longtime Muskegon leader Gilda Wilsonbecomes 10th member of MEA ESP Hall of Fame
Muskegon’s Gilda Wilson, the latest member selected to the MEA ESP Hall of Fame, says support staff are under-appreciated for the work they perform in our public schools. Read more.
Unions hold answer for lifting America’s middle class out of current economic malaise
Former University of Minnesota economics professor Dick Levins says unions will lead the fight for higher wages.
Dick Levins: 'Unions built the middle class.'
“We’re about this far away from Willie Nelson holding a benefit concert for the middle class,” said former University of Minnesota economics professor Dick Levins, holding his forefinger and thumb a penny’s width apart.
Levins, the keynote speaker at MEA’s Building Full Capacity Locals training session on ESP issues Jan. 11, said America’s middle class is in economic peril.
“Four years of economic growth has produced no gains for typical American workers,” Levins said. “Over four years, their average inflation-adjusted wage has risen by one penny an hour. One in four Americans is slipping out of the middle class.”
For years, the American middle class has heard “tax cut, tax cut, tax cut,” Levins said. “Cut taxes, and you’ll have more money in your pockets. Don’t worry about falling wages, we’re going to cut taxes even more.”
Yet, 66 percent of Americans rate economic conditions as fair or poor, and only 1 percent of Americans, the economic elite, are reaping the windfall from these tax cuts.
The middle class has received minimal benefit from this political and economic philosophy, he said.
“Corporate profits are at record highs, but no one’s talking about higher wages,” Levins said. “The super-rich aren’t involved in giving their money away (by paying higher wages). They’re taking their money and running. Anything but higher wages, because higher wages are the flip side of high corporate profits.”
The solution to the economic malaise for America’s middle class rests with unions, he said. Unions must play a strong role in our economy if the middle class is to survive and prosper. Unions balance the power of the super-rich corporations and lead to a healthy middle class economy.
“Unions are needed to fix the middle class,” Levins said. “Our middle class economy wasn’t built on cheap wages. Building unions is an important part of any policy that will have a permanent, positive effect on our economy. Unions fight for better wages. The middle class economy just didn’t happen—it’s union made. Unions built the middle class.
Michigan ESP Center for Professional Learning
Announcing a new professional development program designed especially
for school support staff!
Why ESP Professional Development?
Because you demanded it. School support personnel are vital to the success of Michigan public schools. They, along with parents and school administrators, have expressed a strong desire for support staff training opportunities. While classroom teachers have had access to professional development opportunities for many years, only recently have other school employees been exposed to such training. The Michigan ESP Center for Professional Learning, supported by Lansing Community College, Mott Community College, Genesee Intermediate School District, the Michigan Education Association and the Michigan Department of Education, is the first comprehensive statewide program designed to deliver training for school support staff in a structured program.