Union members say Head Start layoffs unfair
6:54 PM Fri, Jun 12, 2009 | Permalink
Email
 |
 |
Projo 7 to 7 News BlogTaking the news pulse of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, by Providence Journal and projo.com staff, from 7 to 7, every business day |
|
Get the 7 to 7 on your mobile at www.projo.com. Twitter: projo | RSS | Email alerts
« Despite White House invitation, mayors still disappointed |
Main
| Noisy crowd calls on mayors to push for more accountability »
PROVIDENCE -- Union members protested the layoffs of more than 200 Head Start workers Friday, calling the firings unfair. Parents, employees and supporters -- including a woman dressed as a "honey bear" -- carried signs, chanted and marched outside the Providence Biltmore Hotel. They criticized Children's Friend, a nonprofit social-service agency that now operates the state's Head Start programs. Members of Children's Friend celebrated the agency's 175th anniversary inside the hotel, behind a line of police. "Nobody wants to see another 200 people on the street," said Stan Israel, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union. A company working for Children's Friend won't rehire the former workers because they are part of a union, he said. But the workers were vetted by an earlier employer and are qualified to keep their jobs. "This is just sinful," he said. "They are part of the community." The federal government recently awarded Children's Friend a $7-million annual contract to run Head Start, which serves about 1,100 low-income children in Providence and the Blackstone Valley. "It's unfortunate that some have decided to try to impede the important work we do as an organization," said Children's Friend Executive Director David Caprio in a statement. "Any assertion that Children's Friend is somehow putting people out of work is absolutely not true. In fact, we are now in the process of hiring for positions in our expanded system of care," Caprio said. The agency, he added has "reached out" to Head Start employees, met with parents, distributed flyers and attended local job fairs "to let everyone in the community know that Children's Friend is hiring." 
CommentsLeave a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
Tags 
New comments
New photos
New posts
Projo blogs
Archives
Every day, in almost every article related to the economy, the union is complaining about something. Let me put this as simple as I can: THERE IS NO MONEY. People can't get raises or additonal benefits, and some will actually lose their jobs. It's happening to everyone, why should unions be any different.
No wonder RI has about the worst economy in the country. The unions have their hands in EVERYTHING. No wonder people are fleeing the state in record numbers. Get out while you can people. It will only be politicians and unions left. Maybe that's the way they want it. RI will flush itself down the crapper pretty soon!
Report Abuse
why is it fair for non union worker to be laid off buy not fair for union workers to be laid off, then just fire them instead
Report Abuse
Unions will fix everything...what a joke!
RI is run by their greed and ignorance. Their power is strong but the final results always mean more taxes and less work done for it.
Unions have made slaves of the taxpayer. Why elect anyone to the executive branch...they can't even cross a picket line of thugs.
Get used to being ruined by unions, it won't stop until they kill the economy of the country.
Report Abuse
I'm all for Head Start, but $7,000,000 to serve 1,100 children? Those numbers don't add up.
Report Abuse
If that is all that is left, then they are going bankrupt. Maybe that is what is needed. Public jobs do not create weatlh, they are parasites of the private sector. In the private sector they actually cut work force to remain in business. Maybe the government needs to look at that in our current recession.
Report Abuse
The economy stinks everybody is feeling the pinch. A lot of people have lost their jobs. Why is it that the teachers and their union seem to think they are the only ones on the planet that are getting laid off so are a lot of other people. So, GET OVER IT!!
Report Abuse
The Journal needs to do a little more investigating into just who this union is representing! As of Monday the program will be opened and each and every teacher is a retuning Head Start employee! The out crys are coming from employees who did not take adavantage of educational opportunites given to them (by Head Start) that would have put them at the front of the line for hiring! Quality care and education should be what the staff, parents and the UNION should be supporting!
Report Abuse
tc4, I wouldn't blame the unions. Too many illegals in this state don't pay their fair share. The economy is bad because they walk in our state and take money and benefits we put into. They are running this state dry.
Report Abuse
I don't believe Head Start employees, or any other social service worker, is in the job for the money. We all know that wages are based on funding. However, as in a large number of Head Start programs, equality has and still continues to be an issue. The bottom line is uneducated people have been allowed to continue managing these programs resulting in chaos. If you get rid of poor management, you may get back to quality programs that don't need the Union to fix it. Don't blame the Unions they are a tool that desperate employees found to wake management up. WAKE UP MANAGEMENT!
Report Abuse