Caravan Thanking School Workers To Drive Through Manhattan

UPTOWN, MANHATTAN — A caravan of cars will drive through uptown Manhattan on Friday to thank the thousands of public school maintenance workers who have been keeping school buildings clean and safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

The caravan, set up by union 32BJ SEIU, will start in the Upper East Side and make its way through Morningside Heights and Inwood, stopping off at six Manhattan public schools, meal distribution sites and essential resource centers.

Elected officials, including City Council members Mark Levine and Ben Kallos, will be on hand to speak about their appreciation for the cleaners and maintenance staff at some of the stops.

"Even as the COVID-19 pandemic has shut schools, 6,400 32BJ SEIU cleaners and handypersons have been on the front lines sanitizing our schools, meal distribution sites and the Regional Enrichment Centers that remain open throughout the city, risking their health and the health of their families to keep students and staff healthy," 32BJ wrote in a press release.

The Manhattan caravan follows similar parades of thanks in Queens and Brooklyn, and “Heart of Our Buildings” events at residential and commercial buildings.

The events also serve to spread the union's message that ensuring that New York City's public school buildings are clean and safe must be a top priority in budget discussions.

"...New York City School Support Services must be operating at full capacity, not facing cuts in hours and positions," the organization wrote. "An investment in NYCSSS is an investment in the trained cleaning and maintenance workforce that we need to flatten the curve and re-open NYC."

Here's a look at the caravan's schedule:

• 10:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.: 317 East 67th St., Upper East Side, New York 10065 with Council Member Ben Kallos
• 11 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.: 320 East 96th St., Upper East Side, New York 10128 with Council Member Ben Kallos
• 11:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: 425 West 123rd St., Morningside Heights, New York 10027 with Council Member Mark Levine
• 12:20 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.: 525 Audubon Ave., Inwood, New York 10040
• 12:50 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.: 2580 Amsterdam Ave., Inwood, New York 10040
• 1:10 p.m. to. 1:20 p.m.: 511 West 182nd St., Inwood, New York, 10040