Huddling under a small shelter and parade of umbrellas in front of Nathan Hale Primary School in Crestwood, about 100 union and community members rallied Wednesday to pressure the Cook County School District 130 board to reinstate laid-off custodial staff.
“All we want is to come back and keep your schools clean and safe for everyone. Just like we did,” said Vicky Diaz, who worked for the district for six years before the board voted Aug. 18 to outsource its custodial positions.
Diaz said she’s still heartbroken that she and 30 other custodians were forced out two days after classes resumed, having worked extremely hard over the summer to ensure all 12 schools were clean and welcoming for students.
“Others of my co-workers, they were here for 28 years, and they were still outsourced,” she said.
Six maintenance staff were retained, expected to handle the work until custodians from a new company started work Sept. 7.
But parents, students and teachers say the district’s schools, which serve portions of Alsip, Blue Island, Crestwood and Robbins, still remain without adequate staffing, two weeks after board members blamed delays on a lengthy background check process.
“In the meantime, our teachers, principals, maintenance workers and other staff have gone above and beyond to fill the gaps,” District 130 Board President Nicole 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.”
Martinez did not immediately respond to requests for more information Thursday.
Service Employees International Union Local 73, representing the laid off custodians, has filed a grievance with the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board for conditions within District 130 schools. Members are also seeking an injunction to rescind the layoffs, which they believe violated state labor laws.
More Top Picks Returning To School After A Concussion Vision Accommodations
Fourth grader Jad Abdelkhaleq during the rally summed up cleanliness issues reported by staff and union members in the custodians’ absence, which include filthy bathrooms and floors, rodent and insect infestations, and mold found in multiple buildings.
“We need the old janitors back, cause when I go in my school, there’s a lot of bad stuff, gross stuff,” the 9-year-old said. “I’d say we’ve got to clean the school(s).”
Both State Rep. Robert “Bob” Rita and Worth Township Supervisor Patricia Joan Murphy spoke in support of the laid-off custodians and community members.
Rita said District 130 Superintendent Colleen McKay and School Board members have “failed us,” adding that the board could easily rectify the issue by calling a special meeting and voting to reinstate the union custodians.
“When I first learned what these school conditions were, myself and a couple colleagues called for the state to intervene, but nothing has been done,” Rita said. “And I’m appalled at the conditions that our teachers need to work in, our students are forced to learn in. This is unacceptable.”
Murphy, who also serves on the Moraine Valley Community College board, added the district “should always put students first.”