Comments on: Thursday Thirteen #115: Thirteen Reasons why you should support the custodians of SEIU Local 503 in their struggle for a fair contract with Portland Public Schools

By: Tink

Tink — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:00:50 +0000

You’ve convinced me! Best of luck!
Thanks for visiting my fungi TT.

By: Nicholas

Nicholas — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 04:07:14 +0000

Offering a pay cut like that is disgraceful.

By: WackyMommy

WackyMommy — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 01:52:12 +0000

Mallory,
You’re right, I do rock. I, too, am a member of SEIU Local 503. (When I am Gainfully-Employed Government Worker, that is.)

By: Mallory

Mallory — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:35:59 +0000

YOU ROCK!!! You know I am currently working for another local of that purple union, right? Those janitors work so hard, they deserve our support. I heart you!

By: nan

nan — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:05:46 +0000

Have you read anything by Han Suyin? Get the “crippled tree” “a mortal flower” and the other one, I can’t remember and I am supposed to be working… The trilogy is out of print, but still available. It documents Chinese history, but is not at all tedious or hard to read. She tells her own family history, her childhood and adult story. Her writing style is beautiful, and it is one of the things I have read that made me realise that “history will teach us nothing”. Or is it, “history repeats itself?”

By: Nicole

Nicole — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 06:14:20 +0000

A year or two after the custodians were fired and replaced by contract workers I spoke to a parent who had been touring schools for Kindergarten. She decided not to send her child to public school because during a school tour she noticed the bathrooms were so dirty she felt it was unhealthy. I’m so glad we have PPS custodians back and I’m thankful to see the support they are getting from parents and teachers during their contract negotiations. Thank you to Anne and Nancy for publicizing the petitiion, and to everyone else who has signed it!

By: Natalie

Natalie — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 04:35:50 +0000

I hope enough people in your area complain about this and can bring about change.

I just wanted to let you know you’ve been gifted with a ‘sweet treat’ over at my blog!

By: Zarwen

Zarwen — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:41:38 +0000

When I was student teaching (music) 25 years ago, I remember my mentor teacher said, “When you get your first job, make sure you make friends with the custodian. You are going to need his help every time you have a concert.”

I never forgot that. When I walked into my son’s school last spring and saw a reinstated PPS custodian (I recognized his PPS ID badge), I almost cried, because for me he represented my former colleagues finally being made whole after the District had screwed them over so badly. Marriages and families broke up because of that illegal layoff. And now this. PPS truly has no shame!

By: SJ Reidhead

SJ Reidhead — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:38:48 +0000

And I thought Ruidoso was bad!

By: megs

megs — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:52:54 +0000

“glitter”..the absolute worst thing to clean up. The custodians are the hardest working people I know. Here’s a quote from “Weeds”..when asked why she was broke all the time…one of the characters said…”WHY! Because I’m working a middle class job in the Bush economy.” The custodians, at $10 an hour won’t even qualify for middle class….Poverty level perhaps. And paying more for their health care,too, rest assured. Only ones left to ream now are the teachers…stay tuned for that one.