Janitors

On to janitorial staff...they're cutting three positions.
They're going to split janitors next year, by having them deal with buildings close to each other.

O'Connell asking if we can reinstate those positions by saving funds elsewhere.

Bogigian speaks on "year after year, we've cut the personnel...we can have all the equipment in the world, but if we don't have the manpower...it just doesn't cut it...we can't have it both ways. We can't continue to cut custodial staff and then demand that we have clean beautiful buildings."

The mayor suggests that the schools put out an RFP on outsourcing the cleaning of the schools, pointing out that the cleaning of City Hall has been outsourced. This means, says the superintendent, that he has won the office pool! The mayor (who's in rare form this afternoon), when the superintendent cites the Research Bureau, retorts, "I don't think anyone believed anything they said." Bottom line, from Springfield which did the outsourcing, that the buildings were dirtier, there was theft, and they had to bring back in staff for supervision. Laying off employees means we have to pay their unemployment compensation, as well, Caradonio points out.

Mullaney..."The janitors in our schools do more than cleanup after kids...they assist the principals in all sorts of tasks..have a relationship with all parts of the school. They are not just cleaning people; they know how to do some sorts of emergency things to keep things going. Not just after school closes...these are important people in the building..a minor amount of money in my opinion to keep this ship afloat."

Hargrove: "I've heard about privatizing for 50 years...not dealing with Wal-Mart; we're dealing with children. I've seen it over and over again...they constitute part of the family we have in the Worcester Public Schools."