Public Employee Press

School workers’ kids take layoff battle to the airwaves

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

As Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg persisted in wasting school funds on contracting out while he targeted over 700 Dept. of Education employees for layoffs, Local 372 took its battle to defend the members to the airwaves.

Four public schoolchildren whose parents are union members starred in the radio ad the local aired in September on WINS, WBLS, WWRL and WKRS. The grade schoolers described the vital role that Local 372 School Aides, family paraprofessionals, school lunch workers and drug prevention counselors play in their education.

“Ms. Richards makes sure I don’t eat things that will put me in the hospital. I’m allergic to peanuts and dairy products,” 11-year-old Kymani Murray said of his favorite school worker. “She really watches over me.”

Darius Harris, a second-grader from Harlem, tells about learning about the dangers of drugs from a Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Specialist. “Ms. Dowdy comes to my school and teaches us why we shouldn’t do drugs,” he says. “She doesn’t talk down to us, she talks to us.”

After the children tell their stories, the ad asks the public to “Tell the mayor NO to these cuts. When you protect school jobs, you protect school kids.”

The other children in the ads are Tyrell Washington and Darius’s sister, Danayla.

Local 372 planned the campaign with DC 37’s Communications Dept. and the assistance of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, DC 37’s parent union.

“DOE recently agreed to a huge contract with a Florida-based consulting firm. It is outrageous to ship tax money and jobs out of state while laying off hardworking New Yorkers,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts.

“These workers should not be on the chopping block. They keep our kids safe and ready to learn. The layoffs would put children in jeopardy,” said Veronica Montgomery-Costa, the president of Local 372 and DC 37. “We are very proud of the young students who spoke out in these radio ads.”

If elementary school students like Darius and Danayla Harris, Kymani Murray and Tyrell Washington understand the importance of the school workers, why can’t Mayor Bloomberg?