BURLINGTON, Ontario Custodians in the Halton District School Board, members of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1011, have launched a petition campaign aimed at changing the Boards policy on contracting out.
We want to be able to give the Halton DSB an A-plus for clean, safe schools, said Local 1011 President Robert Bryant. That means having custodial services provided by permanent Board employees not a private company with the lowest bid in all Halton public schools.
Halton DSB has had a mix of public and contracted-out caretaking in its schools. The board has decided to bring in a new policy under which all elementary schools will be contracted in; the caretaking will be done by CUPE members. All secondary schools, on the other hand, will be contracted out; although, however, there will still be a CUPE head caretaker or lead hand in each school.
Everyone seems to understand the value of having Board custodians in elementary schools because of the safety factor, in particular, Bryant said. We believe it is just as important at the high school level maybe even more important to have that permanent person in the school who is throughout the building during the day and knows who belongs there and who doesnt.
Studies in other cities where school custodial services have been contracted out to private companies showed that desks, floors and washrooms were not cleaned frequently enough, sidewalks were not cleared or sanded as needed and grounds were not adequately maintained, Bryant said. The private companies cost more money, had massive turnover and flunked safety audits.
Members of CUPE 1011 have started circulating petitions asking for a change in policy among teachers and parents, especially, for presentation to the Halton DSB before the end of the school year.
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For more information, contact:
Leo Marchand, Campaign Co-ordinator - 905-815-0295 (home)
Robert Bryant, President CUPE Local 1011 - 905-319-2039 (home)
Ann Lennarson, CUPE National Rep - 905-575-5411