Plainfield Custodial Employees Protest Possible Outsourcing

PLAINFIELD, IL — They’re mad as hell and they’re not gonna take it.

Ever since Plainfield School District 202 announced that it was considering outsourcing custodial services, the Plainfield Association of Support Staff has been a vocal opponent to it.

Supporters and members of PASS gathered outside the Plainfield School District Administration Center Monday night to protest the proposal.

Ed Newberry has been with the district for 10 years and said if services are outsourced, he’s got a lot to lose.

“If they do this, I lose out on a lot. It freezes my pension,” Newberry said. “I have no income at this point and I’m 56 years old. Not to mention what it will do to our schools.”

Newberry said he’s been more than just a custodian for the staff, faculty and students within the district.

“I know a lot of the kids. I still run into them. After they’ve graduated from college they still come back to school to see me. That’s what they’re gonna miss if they do this dastardly deed,” Newberry said.

If the outsourcing proposal moves forward, Newberry said it could have an effect not only on the cleanliness of the school, but its safety, as well.

Aux Sable Middle School Reading Specialist Cathy Panozzo came out to the protest to support her friends within PASS. She said she was surprised when she first heard of the proposal.

“If they’re gonna outsource custodians, what’s next? I think it’s important that we’re all District employees and if it’s outsourced, they’re not (employees). I’ve worked most of my career here in Plainfield and I’ve seen custodians where the kids hug them every day,” Panozzo said, who’s been in the district for over 15 years.

Panozzo said when she started she was told to make friends with the custodians because they would be her biggest help.

“There are so many unknown things that they do,” she said. “They’re colleagues. They’re friends. They’re family.”

Newberry said he’s done everything from helping a kid who was having a seizure to jumping cars.

“We’re a family,” he said.

Marty Daczkowski is a Plainfield community member and the head custodian as Plainfield East High School. Daczkowski said if the district outsources, whoever does it won’t perform as well as they can.

“They’re not gonna take care of the staff as we do, with all the demands throughout the day,” he said.

At the Plainfield School District Board of Education meeting Monday night, PASS members and supporters filled the room to let the Board know how they feel about the proposal.

In a prepared statement, Plainfield School District Board of Education President Michelle Smith said that ”at no time has the Board of Education considered or discussed replacing” its entire staff with outside employees.

“Discussion about outsourcing initially arose in response to concerns of a possible strike by custodians during the upcoming PASS negotiations,” Smith said in the statement.

The Board of Education is obligated to keep buildings open, clean and well-maintained, Smith said. In the event of a strike, a contract with a third party was discussed.

“What we have done thus far is to announce that we are investigating the realities and facts of outsourcing,” Smith said, adding that the investigation revealed the district could save up to $2 million by outsourcing.

Smith also said that, despite what some people may have heard, neither she nor the Board made any statements saying custodians will be losing their benefits, insurance or pensions, nor has she or the Board considered allowing unsafe individuals into the school as replacements for the custodians.

“The safety of our students and staff is our number one priority,” Smith said in the statement.

PASS President John Piechocinski said at the meeting that outsourcing custodial services would not be fair to the employees, nor would it maintain the level of service PASS provides.

“If you outsource you will never again, never, maintain the high quality of custodial employees you have right now,” he said.

The District notified the Plainfield Association of Support Staff in a Feb. 11 letter that the Board of Education is “considering contracting with a third party to perform custodial services currently performed by PASS members to more effectively manage costs including workforce safety, efficiency, supplies, benefits and compensation.”

The District tentatively plans to solicit bids for custodial services on or about March 8. Plans call for the Board of Education to publicly review and consider bids at its April 11 regular meeting.