The union representing 31 custodial staff who last month were laid off by Cook County School District 130 has filed a grievance with the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board, after mold was found in multiple district buildings.
“Since the custodial work has been outsourced, teachers, parents, and students have reported rampant uncleanliness in the schools,” Service Employees International Union Local 73 said in a statement issued Thursday. “SEIU Local 73 staff and the remaining members have observed mold in the buildings and believe that the environment at the schools pose a risk to students and staff.”
Local 73 also asked the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board for an injunction to rescind the layoffs, which the union believes violated state labor laws.
More than 100 union and community members packed the Sept. 16 District 130 board meeting, reporting ever-worsening conditions
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within the district’s 12 schools such as filthy bathrooms and floors, rodent and insect infestations, and mold. The district includes portions of Alsip, Blue Island, Crestwood and Robbins.The Illinois Education Association and state officials including Sen. Bill Cunningham and Reps. Robert “Bob” Rita, Justin Slaughter and Mary Gill have asked for outside intervention to address the cleanliness issues. The elected officials in a joint statement called on the Illinois State Board of Education and Department of Public Health “to act to protect students where the school district has failed.”
“Anything less than clean, safe schools is unacceptable,” they said in the Sept. 16 statement. “We must protect students and teachers and protect the rights of workers. The schools need to be cleaned up now.”
During the last board meeting, District 130 Board President Nicole Martinez and Vice President Jennifer McGinnis apologized for the issues seen within schools but said many of them predate the custodial layoffs. Martinez said the board knew there would be a challenge with the transition, but said the background check process for outsourced custodians is taking longer than expected.
“In the meantime, our teachers, principals, maintenance workers and other staff have gone above and beyond to fill the gaps,” Martinez said. “We are in this situation because serious issues — service issues with our previous provider — led to worsening conditions in our school and the need for a change.”
“Our schools were gross and dirty before this,” McGinnis said.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Educational Association is asking that community members write to the board, demanding they rehire the laid off custodians. A prayer vigil for clean schools is also scheduled for 5 p.m. on Wednesday, at Nathan Hale Primary School in Crestwood.
“I am very disheartened to continue with this cleaning service, as a teacher in a building that has never seen conditions like we are seeing, as so many teachers in this room are seeing,” Blue Island Educational Association President Sherri Roozee Sera said during the board meeting. “There comes a time when things are happening that are wrong that we have to say something, and this is that time.”