NASHUA, N.H. – An aggressive anti-privatization campaign by AFSCME Council 93 has led to a drastic shift away from support for the outsourcing of school custodian services in the city.
Just over eight months ago, members of the Nashua Board of Education voted unanimously in executive session to terminate their contract with AFSCME and pursue full privatization. Thanks to comprehensive education and public awareness efforts by AFSCME, we are now just one vote shy of defeating privatization and heading back to the table to negotiate a new contract.
Newly elected board members Howard Coffman and Doris Honensee have helped shift the board in the right direction. But the most dramatic turnaround has come from current board chair Sandra Ziehm, who stated publicly at a recent meeting that input from the union, students, community members and other school districts has led to her firm opposition to privatization.
"I was one who started out in favor of privatizing. It was 100% because of money, because we never have money to do the things we need to do," Board President Ziehm said. "Having said that, I have come full circle and can no longer vote to privatize."
"I've only had 2 or 3 people at most tell me they're in favor of (privatization)" she added. "And I think there's like 300 who have personally told me they're opposed to it."
Coffman said the lack of planning and consistency throughout the entire budget and negotiation process resulted in an unfair situation for the custodians.
"Why is only one bargaining unit singled out for reductions?" Coffman asked. "Why do other bargaining units get raises? We shouldn't favor some bargaining units at the expense of another."
Ziehm discussed an "eloquent letter" she received from a student, who wrote about how her parents drop her off at school very early in the morning when only the custodian is there. The student wrote that the custodian meets her every morning and stays with her other people arrive.
"She feels safe with him, and in this letter she basically begged," Ziehm explained, adding that building a comfortable climate for students must be a major factor in the board's decision.
She compared privatization to trade agreements that shipped U.S. jobs overseas, said a private company would not provide the same the quality of cleaning and maintenance and added that there were safety issues with contractors—such as stolen, broken or misplaced equipment.
"I also spoke to the Superintendent of Chelmsford for 15-20 minutes," Ziehm told the other board members. "And he said we will live to regret it. They have reversed their decision."
Ziehm spoke with Jay Lang, who replaced the outgoing superintendent responsible for spearheading the effort to privatize school custodians that displaced 21 hardworking AFSCME members in 2013. Chelmsford reversed course after acknowledging that their privatization attempt was a complete failure. Five contract custodians employed by Aramark, the private corporation that Chelmsford hired, were arrested on charges ranging from theft of student medication and school property to outstanding drug warrants. The town will bring custodial services back in-house this fall.
Lang provided his cell phone number to AFSCME and said the union could share it with all members of the Nashua School Board who wanted to speak with him about the troubles experienced in Chelmsford.
Ziehm added that everyone she's spoken to about Manchester's custodial privatization said it was a mistake, and that Hudson, N.H. recently ended their contract with a private company.
Read more about how Nashua's school custodians never quit here.
Watch the segments of the meeting regarding the custodians, including the vote, Ziehm's statement and Coffman's statement here on AFSCME Council 93's YouTube channel. The full recording of the entire meeting is also available here.