Public Employee Press

Grim holidays for laid-off members
"The students need help even more now."

Former School Aide Powen Lin was already familiar with the teachers, the parents and the students at Flushing's P.S. 244 when he was hired by the Dept. of Education. Like many Local 372 members, Lin was a volunteer at the Queens elementary school before he started working there.

"I knew the school needed help, that's why I volunteered," said Lin, who began volunteering when his 9-year-old son attended the school.

With P.S. 244's large Asian student body, Lin's language skills in Mandarin and Taiwanese made him an invaluable resource. The parents who often struggled to communicate with the teachers in English counted on Lin for help. He helped translate documents they didn't understand and guided newer parents through the school bureaucracy.

Many of the parents, he said, work long hours. Lin, who was born in Taiwan and came to the city in 2008, helped them stay in touch with the school. In view of his important role for the parents, his dismissal "just doesn't make much sense to me," he admits.

His departure doesn't make much sense for the principal of the school either. "He was against this," said Lin.

Like many members who were laid off, Lin is struggling to find a new job while his wife goes to school. While he looks for work, Lin will continue to volunteer twice a week at P.S. 244.