LONDON, ON. – Thames Valley District School Board workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), are calling for the reinstatement of full public custodial services at the board, after a private contractor hired to clean 17 schools went bankrupt.
“We have contacted the school board to discuss a positive solution – bringing all custodial services in-house,” said Dave Hill, president of CUPE 4222. “Bringing in maintenance services will allow for full public accountability and offer residents reliable public services, without spending public dollars on profits for a private contractor.”
CUPE 4222 represents over 2,000 custodians, education assistants, instructional assistants, secretaries and clerical support staff, and technical and maintenance workers in 186 schools in Elgin, Oxford and Middlesex counties. Custodial services at the 17 affected schools were contracted out prior to the amalgamation in 1998 of the 4 school boards in Elgin, Oxford, Middlesex counties and the city of London.
“Our members have been serving our communities for many years and we know that directly employed, public service workers are the best option to make sure our schools are clean and safe for our children,” said Hill. “This is a good opportunity for the school board to show leadership and to do the right thing by bringing in custodial services and restoring public accountability.”
For further information, please contact:
Dave Hill
CUPE Local 4222 president
(519) 851-9970 (cell)
Jennifer Kaufmann
CUPE national representative
(519) 433-1753
(519) 852-2803 (cell)
James Chai
CUPE communications
(416) 292-3999