Give Philadelphians Hope - PhillyBlog

Debo702 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 12:08 PM

GIVE PHILADELPHIANS HOPE

To the Leaders and Educators of Philadelphia

We are writing this letter to address the current situation of the School District and the City of Philadelphia. All of us know the current situation and environment of Philadelphia. The crime and murder rate is skyrocketing at record levels. Everyone is asking what is the cause and what is the solution. It’s not about putting more cops on the street or building more prisons. It’s about giving people hope and a sense of pride in themselves and the ability to care and provide for their families. Many Philadelphians only have a High School Diploma and cannot afford to go to College or a Trade School. So how do we give someone with only a High School Diploma the opportunity to have a good paying job with decent benefits? How does the School District of Philadelphia ask Businesses and Organizations to hire our children after High School? How do we give our people hope?

We need to stop contracting out School District jobs, such as Cleaning. These jobs are done by School District union workers who, through negotiations received a fair wage and a decent benefit package. Now these jobs are contracted out to the lowest bidder who pay their employees low wages with minimal or no Benefits! How can you expect to raise and take care of a family on lower wages? How can anyone possibly pay for their benefits? Many of these workers are Minority Philadelphians. Is that giving Philadelphians hope?

The School District hasn’t hired workers in years. Most of the Cleaning employees are low income minority Philadelphians. The School District refuses to hire for these jobs and continues to move forward in a conscious effort toward the contracting out of all cleaning services. SEIU/NCFO Local 1201 represents School District of Philadelphia Employees among Cleaning are Bus Drivers, Bus Attendants, Engineers, Maintenance Trade Mechanics, Environmental Workers, Pest Control Workers, Print Shop and Warehouse Workers. These are fair paying Union jobs with decent benefits. How can the School District of Philadelphia ask a Business or Organization to hire our High School Graduates when they don’t hire them? When was the last time the School District hired its own graduates? Shouldn’t they be the first? Are they giving Philadelphia High School Graduates hope?

We know that there are Budget problems in both Philadelphia City Government and the School District, but they both have an obligation and a responsibility to give Philadelphians hope for a better life. We asked that our Elected and Appointed Officials step up and give Philadelphians hope. You need to stop eliminating good paying jobs with benefits and start giving people hope for the future. It IS your Responsibility!

Sincerely,

Dennis Biondo
Health and Welfare Administrator
SEIU Local 1201
School Employees Union

phillyaggie · #2 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 04:22 PM

Give Philadelphians hope...kick out *all* the labor unions from the city for 10 years. Review the progress made after that.

Debo702 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillyaggie

Give Philadelphians hope...kick out *all* the labor unions from the city for 10 years. Review the progress made after that.

Stated like a man with a good paying job and benefits. Sure screw everyone else. your family's covered. God bless you

raider.adam · #4 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillyaggie

Give Philadelphians hope...kick out *all* the labor unions from the city for 10 years. Review the progress made after that.

That's just silly. People have the right to organize if they so desire. The idea that "if it is union it is bad" is hooey.

phillyaggie · #5 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 05:06 PM

If lablor unions have a right to organize, then the employers have the right to seek out most productivity for their dime.

Turns out, unionized workers aren't it. Can't blame the school district.

phillyaggie · #6 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Debo702

Stated like a man with a good paying job and benefits. Sure screw everyone else. your family's covered. God bless you

No, stated like a man who earned his way to an okay-paying job. I didn't sit around after graduating high school, hoping to land a unionzed job with a school district that came with all benefits. Instead, I took on loans, studied hard, tried hard to stave off hunger and distractions, and earned a college degree. After that, I hunted for well-paying jobs for months while working at a minimum-wage sales position, because the line of work I wanted was undergoing recession. I didn't sit around at home, demanding that I be handed a job for the college degree I earned. I figured, this is America. I'm an immigrant here. I better work my ass off, or I'm not going to get ahead. And so I did. And as luck would have it, I did find a job that used my college degree. And I'm better off for it.

Debo702 · #7 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillyaggie

If lablor unions have a right to organize, then the employers have the right to seek out most productivity for their dime.

Turns out, unionized workers aren't it. Can't blame the school district.

But I can blame them for Mismanagement and Waste

"Pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered"

raider.adam · #8 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillyaggie

If lablor unions have a right to organize, then the employers have the right to seek out most productivity for their dime.

Turns out, unionized workers aren't it. Can't blame the school district.

That is quite a different position than "get rid of all unions".

Debo702 · #9 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillyaggie

No, stated like a man who earned his way to an okay-paying job. I didn't sit around after graduating high school, hoping to land a unionzed job with a school district that came with all benefits. Instead, I took on loans, studied hard, tried hard to stave off hunger and distractions, and earned a college degree. After that, I hunted for well-paying jobs for months while working at a minimum-wage sales position, because the line of work I wanted was undergoing recession. I didn't sit around at home, demanding that I be handed a job for the college degree I earned. I figured, this is America. I'm an immigrant here. I better work my ass off, or I'm not going to get ahead. And so I did. And as luck would have it, I did find a job that used my college degree. And I'm better off for it.

That's great Aggie your a fighter and a survivor. Your strong and have character. I admire that. Because I'm the same way. So here we are you and I and a million other strong surviving human beings. What do we do for the weak and less fortunate? The one's that can't fight for themselves ,by themselves. Do we forget about them? Do we try to make the worlrd we live in a better place? Do we care for our fellow human beings? Since were strong shouldn't we lead? Shouldn't we organize the disorganized? Are we are brothers keeper? Look I'm no holy roller or some religious nut. I'm not the best person in the world by no means. Believe me! It comes down to what's right and I care. I'm off my soapbox now. D

phillyaggie · #10 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 05:30 PM

mismanagement and waste? sure. if you can substantiate that, i think it behooves you (and other involved) to blame them...and then also provide your answer to said mismanagement and waste. Let me guess...hire more union workers?

just so i don't come off as some sort of capitalist pig, let me say this: i'm not against all unionization. case-by-case. Similarly, I am also against paying CEOs and execs whatever they demand...it goes so totally against fiduciary duties its ridiculous. There's corporate malfeasence in America, you bet. But often times, unions aren't better either. Unionization has not prevented corporate downsizing/rightsizing, offshoring, and outsourcing. And all this has gone on for quite a while now. Its not a new trend.