Letter: Do it for Leo, Juan, Elvria
Editor, Daily News:
As a Collier County teacher and taxpayer whose money helps fund public education, I say keep our custodians.
They work hard for long hours with little pay and no complaints. To fire them is wrong — it’s even close to criminal given the current economic crisis and high unemployment.
What will they do without a paycheck and health benefits? As Leo Pozo puts it, “I’m 75 years old. Who will hire me, and how can I afford to work at two-thirds the pay with no health benefits?”
Leo has worked at Lely High School for 17 years and has two grandchildren attending the school. He’s family. It isn’t right to fire him and outsource to strangers.
If the school district needs to save money, and who doesn’t, listen to the Teamsters. If we can get better health coverage and save the district $12 million while saving 250 jobs, why not? I’m certainly willing to have my health care renegotiated, if it means saving our janitors.
Why is Superintendent Dennis Thompson dismissing the Teamsters’ bid? And why isn’t he considering other bids — as promised?
The deadline is drawing near. I don’t want to see Bernardo, Leo, Juan, Elvira and the other janitors leave. Instead of targeting them, why not have everyone on the school payroll — from the superintendent to the staff — take a 1 percent pay cut and use those funds to keep our custodians?
It would hurt, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice. I’m willing to place people before profit. It would build community.
I would also buy time for the district to seriously examine saving money by reworking health care, instead of jilting janitors.
K.D., Ph.D., Naples
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To "K.D." in Naples --
I think you are a very big doo-doo head.
Signed,
Denni$ Thomp$on
Doctorite in Ed Psych
$UPER$HARKINTENDENT
