During one of many anti-austerity protests last summer, more than 1,000 people rallied to oppose the Philadelphia District\u2019s plans to \u201ctransform schools,\u201d a pleasant euphemism generally meaning school closures and mass layoffs. The Philly district planned to lay off 2,700 blue-collar workers, including every member of the SEIU 32BJ Local 1201, the city school union representing bus assistants, cleaners, mechanics, and other workers.<\/p>\n
In late July, the School Reform Commission scrapped those plans and approved a contract that avoided layoffs, but led to worker salary reductions (employees had between $5 and $45 deducted each week from their pay). Additionally, the union nixed two planned wage increases\u2014a 3 percent jump set for earlier in the year and another raise that would have kicked in the first of this year.<\/p>\n
Despite the union\u2019s concession, the district still has a $282 million deficit, and the Philadelphia School District\u2019s plan to save money is closing one in six public schools in the area, a move that activists, clergy and some officials say will disproportionately affect students of colors, as well as poor and disabled students.<\/p>\n