Candidate Questionnaire

Last week Interfaith Worker Justice Kansas sent the following candidate questionnaire to every candidate in Sedgwick County running for a seat in the Kansas State Legislature. We enclosed a self-addressed stamped return envelop with each questionnaire. We will publish responses to our survey--including the names of candidates who elect not to respond. Survey results will be shared with faith communities, organized labor, and the media. You can help ensure a more comprehensive result if you encourage candidates in your district to complete this survey. Thank you for your assistance.

IWJ – Kansas Candidates Questionnaire

(Please circle either YES or NO)

If elected:

1)  Will you vote to exempt groceries from the Kansas sales tax?                YES                  NO

2)  Will you vote to repeal the personal income exemption for business “pass-through” income?

                                                                                                                        YES                  NO

3)  Will you vote to restore a more progressive income tax?                       YES                  NO

4)  Will you vote to expand Medicaid?                                                           YES                  NO

5)  Will you vote for increased and more equitable funding for public education?

                                                                                                                        YES                  NO

6) Will you vote to repeal laws that make it harder for Kansas citizens to register and vote?

                                                                                                                        YES                  NO

7) Will you refrain from participation in the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)?

                                                                                                                        YES                  NO

8)  Will you vote to repeal KSA 12-16, 130, the Kansas law that bans municipalities and counties from passing a local “living wage” ordinance?                                           YES                  NO

9)  Will you vote to increase the Kansas state minimum wage to at least $12 an hour?

                                                                                                                        YES                  NO

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions.  Please return the completed questionnaire in the stamped, addressed envelope included with this mailing.

Moral Economy Summit in KC

Our friends in Kansas City, Communities Creating Opportunities (CCO.org) are hosting a Moral Economy Summit on May 18 and 19, 2016. You can go to the following website for information.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1065277830212641/

CCO reports that Kansas and Missouri have two of the lowest economic growth rates in the nation. According to "The Business Insider" Kansas ranks the 11th worst regarding unemployment rates, housing, prices, average weekly wages, and more.

Communities Creating Opportunities, a faith-based organization with over 25 years of experience in Kansas City, is hosting the Moral Economy Summit to discuss how communities can access full employment, fair credit, early childhood education, and increased health and life expectancy. Eric Liu, founder of Citizen University, and Sophia Bracey Harris, co-founder of the Federation of Community-Controlled Centers of Alabama, are the keynote speakers.

Healthy families are the true measure of a healthy economy and a vibrant community. We celebrate CCO for hosting this important summit and look forward to deepening our partnership with them.

One of the front-line issues for a moral economy in Wichita soon will be decided by the Board of Education for USD 259. Members of the  BOE are to be congratulated for the courageous stand they have taken thus far to protect jobs as they wrestle with the budget crisis created by the Kansas legislature and the governor. We are asking them to continue to stand strong for teachers, custodians, librarians and others who are on the front-line of education. Educators, board members, parents, and all those who are committed to protecting and advancing high quality public education in our community deserve our thanks and our support.

David Hansen

In defense of public education

Public schools across the country are facing tough times. Budgets are tight, enrollments are increasing, student populations are diversifying, and pressure to privatize services and reduce staff is unrelenting. The situation in USD 259 is not unique.

Let me say upfront that there are times when privatization is in order. But there are also times when privatization is little more than a form of modern day piracy. This type of privatization transfer assets to the wealthy, and saddles the public and individuals who are least able to shoulder the burden with the costs. Privatizing custodian jobs in USD 259 and other efforts to protect certain jobs and benefits while asking others to sacrifice is morally offensive to me. It is protecting the privileges and power of some at the expense of others.

Privatization puts the burden of responsibility in the wrong place. The problem is not that custodians, teachers, librarians, nurses, aides and others are making too much money. The budget crisis was created by the state legislature and the governor when they decided to eliminate income taxes for the wealthiest 330,000 people in Kansas.

It is worth noting in the context of public education that the word public comes for the Latin poplicus, meaning "pertaining to the people." The word private comes the the Latin privare, from which we get the word "deprived." The Greek word for a strictly private person is idotes, from which we get the word "idiot," meaning a person who does something stupid--like robbing the public purse for private gain.

Although assurances are given that privatization will save millions of dollars, this assurance is not guaranteed. I would be surprised if privatization contracts contain clawback provisions that would reimburse school districts if the promised savings were not realized. I invite you to go online and read about school districts that have privatized custodial services, sold custodial supplies and equipment, and created an employment environment that invites high turnover for jobs that pay low wages and have few benefits. More than one school district reports that they had to spend millions of unbudgeted dollars for custodial services after they voted to privatize these same services to save money. The Chicago public schools is a well-documented study in the failure of privatization.

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Schools are public places where people learn self-respect, gain new skills, and learn the values of cooperation and civic virtue. They are meeting places that offer the opportunity for creative inter-generational interaction crossing lines of race, class, and religion. Without this kind of public space the fabric of society soon becomes frayed, and public trust in our institutions begins to unravel.

Fighting to save the jobs of public school custodians is about much more than saving jobs--important as it is that we do this. Fair compensation for everyone who works in our public schools is about claiming, reclaiming, and protecting a vital public space and place that makes and keeps civil society civil. The classroom is where we first learn what it means to be "one nation, indivisible."

Education: a sacred trust

Recently a Republican member of the Kansas legislature reportedly asked if public schools are simply a “jobs program” disguised as education. Behind this awkward question there is a deeper issue: namely, what is the purpose of education?

The USD 259 Board of Education is wrestling with this question in a difficult time as state funding for our schools is being trimmed to the bone, and pressure to privatize custodial services and reduce staff intensifies. To their credit members of the Board of Education have refused to take hasty action. There has been a full house at the last two BOE meetings. People know that the future of our schools depends on the actions the board will take soon.

In my book education is a sacred trust. The purposes of education are to equip students to become knowledgeable citizens and contributing members of society who are able to use their gifts and talents in ways that will improve their lives and the quality of life for others. Schools are given the task of educating the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. Thus, education has several goals: teaching competence, modeling integrity, cultivating a culture of mutual respect, and developing good citizens. Building good character is perhaps the most important purpose of education. It takes people, buildings, and resources to accomplish these goals. Education is and always has been a labor intensive enterprise.

Therefore, the means that we employ in our ministry of education have to be consistent with the ends we hope to achieve. A minimum requirement is respecting the enterprise of education, providing a safe and clean environment for everyone, and paying teachers, librarians, custodians, nurses, administrators, aides, and other staff adequate compensation.

Is education as “jobs program”? No. Education is a sacred trust.

Kansas Legislative Update

Our thanks to the Working Kansas Alliance for this Legislative Update for 2016

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http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=2ad1462c50995d53c5cebc996&id=cc629dadab&e=c8fe7b453c

The Kansas Legislature returned to work last week on Wednesday. They returned for the annual veto session. The week was full of conference committees where each chamber tries to work out their differences they have on certain bills.

On Friday the Commerce Conference Committee met. In the Conference Committee they inserted HB2576, the piece of legislation that would outlaw cities and/or counties from enacting fair scheduling ordinances into SB366. The intent of this measure is to thwart attempts by cities and counties to require more reasonable scheduling practices for workers, many of who are low-wage, part-time employees. They also inserted 3 other state preemption laws in SB366. All the preemption laws inserted into SB366 were ALEC model pieces of legislation written by corporate lobbyists. This bill would block local governments from implementing innovative ways to effectively address poverty and inequality in our communities. We are strongly opposed to this bill. The Conference Committee agreed to disagree.

Also on Friday the unthinkable seemed to happen, the Tax Conference Committee passed out a measure that would repeal the 2012 LLC tax cuts. The measure first went to the House Floor to be debated. Simply repealing the 2012 LLC tax exemption would not fix the revenue problems our state is facing, it is like applying a Band-Aid to a gunshot wound. When it came time to vote the bill failed, 45-74.

On Saturday SB366 came up for debate and a vote on the House floor. There was a lot of debate but unfortunately SB366 did pass the House. On Sunday SB366 came up for debate and a vote on the Senate floor. There was a long debate on the Senate floor, which mainly focused around how this bill is taking away power from local governments. Unfortunately the bill did pass the Senate with a final vote of 32-6. The bill now heads to the governor.

Also, late Sunday night and early Monday morning the House and Senate debated and voted on the budget bill. The budget itself relies on that Governor Brownback will make millions and millions in cuts to basic government services. The budget also will delay $100 million in payments to KPERS. We can expect that this payment “delay” to KPERS will never get paid back. It also assumes that the state will be left with about $27 million during the current fiscal year and $81 million next year. However as we have seen in the past revenues have consistently fallen short of projections and we can expect that revenues will continue to fall short under this budget because of Brownback’s failed tax and economic experiment. Unfortunately the budget passed both the House and Senate in the dead of night earlyMonday morning with a Senate vote ending around 3:30AM Monday.

This wraps up the 2016 Legislative Session.


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Hurt Workers Not Represented in Kansas

We thank the Working Kansas Alliance for the following informative article.

On April 28^th workers all around our nation will observe Workers Memorial Day. Workers Memorial Day is a day to commemorate those who have perished or suffered injuries or illness on the job. Last year, 54 Kansas workers lost their lives while on the job and an additional 31,700 sustained injuries or illness at or because of their workplace, according to a report by the AFL-CIO. Because of the broken Workers Comp system in Kansas many of these workers and their families did not receive the just compensation they deserve. The Workers Comp system in Kansas is broken, and workers hurt on the job have the deck stacked against them.

The workers’ compensation program was established in the early 1900s to protect workers who are hurt on the job. In return for a measure of a security, workers gave up the right to sue their employers, protecting employers from lawsuit judgments that could bankrupt them. By 1920, nearly every state had enacted workers’ comp laws.
A recent trend has seen states attacking workers’ rights for compensation, and Kansas has joined them by relaxing the requirements on employers and making it difficult for workers to make claims when hurt on the job.

A key to proper compensation for workers is the diagnosis and recommended treatment by doctors. Insurance companies reserve the right to select doctors to evaluate a worker’s condition. Since insurance companies pay the doctors and select the doctors, the companies have a record of selecting only those doctors who will make decisions in favor of the insurance companies.

If doctors make professional and ethical decisions, and if their diagnosis favors the hurt worker, some insurance companies harass doctors if they provide expensive and prolonged treatments or if they prescribe expensive medications. Consequently, doctors with thriving practices often are not willing to accept worker compensation claims.

Also, insurance companies sometimes send a person making worker comp claims long distances to the doctors chosen by the insurance companies. Again, the workers’ rights and the “right diagnosis” are of lower priority than the insurance company’s intent to reduce payout for claims.

The injured worker must prove that the “prevailing factor” for any resulting injury was caused by the job. For example, if a person fell from a ladder, a doctor might claim that the resulting injury would not have happened if the worker did not have arthritis in the knee, claiming that arthritis was the prevailing factor, not the accident itself. Then the worker must appeal that decision before a workers comp judge.

In Kansas the appeals system is also stacked against the injured worker. In 2013 the Kansas Legislature created a committee of seven members to review appointments of judges to review disputed workers’ comp cases. Previously these administrative law judge nominees were chosen by a two-member panel — one representing business and the other representing labor.

Under the new system for selecting judges, the seven permanent members are made up primarily of groups that oppose workers’ rights: Kansas Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses, Kansas State Council for Human Resource Management, Kansas Self-Insurers Association, a representative of the Kansas Secretary of Labor, a representative of labor chosen by the Kansas Secretary of Labor, and a person chosen by the Kansas AFL-CIO labor union.

In the best-case scenario, only three members are likely to support workers— the persons  selected by the Kansas AFL-CIO and the Kansas Secretary of Labor. However, because of the current administration's support of business interests, the governor and current state leaders expect appointees of the Kansas Secretary of Labor to reflect the administration's views opposing workers' rights; consequently, six members of the committee do not represent the interests of working Kansans.

This nominating committee picks nominees for ten judges and five appeals adjudicators when the positions come open and votes on retention every four years. In other words, they retain the ability to fire the judges of workers compensation.

As a result, workers hurt on the job have the system and the appeals process stacked against them.
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The Working Kansas Alliance is a coalition of union and non-union groups dedicated to protecting the rights of the hard working Kansas families that fuel our State’s economy. Our mission is to advocate for and promote policy solutions that strengthen working families and their Kansas communities.

Contacts: Terry Forsyth (terry.forsyth@knea.org (mailto:terry.forsyth@knea.org) ) or Conor Eubanks (conoreubanks8@gmail. com (mailto:conoreubanks8@gmail.com) )

The Broken Worker Comp System in Kansas

Written on February 23, 2016 by jakelowen in Action Alerts

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We need your help! Visit the join page to help us fight for good jobs, and quality schools. Join us.

A recent change in the workers’ compensation appeal process results in a broken system that places workers at a disadvantage, and injured workers are not fairly compensated for injuries they suffer.

In 2013 the Kansas Legislature created a committee of seven members to review the appointment of judges to review disputed workers’ compensation cases after a worker is injured on the job. Previously these administrative law judge nominees were chosen by a two-member panel — one representing business and the other representing labor.

Under the new system for selecting judges, the seven permanent members are made up primarily of groups that oppose workers’ rights: Kansas Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses, Kansas State Council for Human Resource Management, Kansas Self-Insurers Association, two people named by the Kansas Secretary of Labor, and a person named by the Kansas AFL-CIO labor union.

Because of the Brownback administration’s support of business interests, only two members are likely to support workers—the persons selected by the Kansas AFL-CIO and the Kansas Secretary of Labor. However, the governor and current state leaders expect the appointee of the Kansas Secretary of Labor to reflect the administration’s views opposing workers’ rights; consequently, six members of the committee do not represent the interests of working Kansans. This nominating committee picks nominees for ten judges and five appeals adjudicators when the positions come open and votes on retention every four years.

The workers’ compensation program, founded in the early 1900s, should protect workers who are hurt on the job, and every state has laws that require employers through insurance companies to pay workers’ medical bills and some of their lost wages. However, the requirements vary by state, and a recent trend has seen states attacking workers’ rights for compensation.

This is why the Working Kansas Alliance is calling for the Kansas Legislature to support HB 2635 and HB 2636. HB 2635 calls for the chairperson of the Workers Compensation and Employment Security Board Nominating Committee to rotate yearly between employee organizations and employer organizations. HB 2636 would increase the transparency of the Workers Compensation and Employment Security Board Nominating Committee by having it subjected to the Kansas Opens Records Act and also states that interviews of possible judges cannot be held in executive session.

We need your help! Visit the join page to help us fight for good jobs, and quality schools. Join us.

Statement to Board of Education

On Monday, April 25, 2106, Dorlan Bales of IWJ Kansas presented the following statement in oral testimony to an open meeting of the Board of Education for USD 259.

I am here today speaking on behalf of Interfaith Justice Workers, Kansas. We are part of a national movement building strong partnerships between faith communities, labor and other community organizations.

I am here today because we are grieving and we are angry. We grieve for you, members of the USD 259 BOE because our state legislators and governor have put you in the untenable position of having to make cuts in programs due to their negligence and failure to properly manage the state budget and finances. We grieve for teachers, students, librarians, custodians and parents who invest themselves in high quality educational under very trying, and yes I will say, taxing, conditions. We grieve because jobs are at stake that will effect the quality of education and the quality of life in our community.

And we are angry because we believe that privatizing custodial services, eliminating librarians, reducing programs and making other forced reductions in the name of efficiency is in reality simply a way to privatize profits and shift the burdens and costs on others and on our community.

Will privatization save USD 259 money? Of course it will if you only look at the bottom line. But members of our community,custodians and others, will pay the price. Wages will be cut, pensions will be shredded, insurance costs will rise.

Quality public education is more than a right. We believed providing quality public education is a sacred obligation to children, to families, and to the future. We cannot tell you how to fulfill this obligation. We can say that is your obligation as members of USD 259 BOE. Thank you.

Against Privatization

     Recently at the School Board meeting of USD259 privatization of

custodial personnel was considered. For that reason I would like to

present several reasons which militate against privatization.

     Traditionally custodial and other ministry personnel have been a

vital support for the positive outcome of a  service organization. They

 were tied to the whole venture by their salaries, benefits, and sense of

 of belonging . Workers knew that their contribution was part of the

 success of the organization.

     In these days those in charge of schools, hospitals and other service

organizations may feel the need to reduce costs. Private groups step up

and agree to the responsibility for workers and will certainly do so in a

way to accumulate profit.

     Who stands to lose out? The parent organization is no longer

accountable for salaries, days off, seniority, and even in place of work.

At the same time the ties that gave workers pride in the ministry

outcome is somewhat weakened. The privatizing group makes money.

The workers may suffer from lack of seniority status and attention to

their basic needs both in salary and benefits. They are no longer sure

that they are a vital part of the parent ministry.

     Some of the negatives have been realized in organizations which

have privatized. In some places, without close ties, the work has been

less acceptable. In the case of privatization of detention centers the

services provided were far from sufficient. A pathway for workers to

move from lower class to middle class is not there since incentives and

benefits formerly supplied, such as certain holidays, are eliminated.

Workers vitality is compromised.

     Use every means to support this issue of justice for workers.

Churches and individuals are asked to stand for workers on this present

Consideration.

Sister Dorothy LeBlanc
Interfaith Worker Justice, Kansas

Worker Memorial Day Event

Last year 54 Kansas workers lost their lives while on the job. An additional 31,700 sustained injuries or illness at or because of their workplace, according to a new report by the AFL-CIO. On Thursday, April 28th,  at 6:00 P.M., working families, faith leaders and local officials will gather at the Machinist Hall, 3830 S. Meridian in Wichita, for a dinner to commemorate those who have perished or suffered injuries or illness on the job, and call on Congress to create safe jobs for all working people. We will have a free catered dinner from Stroud’s Fried Chicken as we remember those Kansas Workers who lost their lives on the job and renew our commitment to fight for good, SAFE, jobs. Featured speakers will include representatives from Wichita area Labor Unions, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and candidates for elected office.     Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend

follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2016 Working Kansas Alliance / Kansas Coalition for Workplace Safety, All rights reserved.

Fact Sheet on the Impact of Privatization of Custodial Jobs in USD 259

The following fact sheet has been put together by the Service Employees Union (SEIU) Local 513, and is supported by Interfaith Worker Justice, Kansas.

Privatizing Wichita Public Schools custodial services will have an adverse effect on Wichita's middle class and communities of color, increasing income inequality and further stressing already beleaguered communities.

Privatization of custodial services will disproportionately effect predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods.

More than one-half of Wichita Public School custodians are African-American or Hispanic--so privatizing custodial positions will disproportionately affect communities of color.*

Wichita communities of color are already severely economically stressed. A recent article in The Wichita Eagle noted that 42 percent of the people living in zip code 67214 are below the poverty line.**

Privatizing these jobs will degrade the middle class and create poverty level jobs.

The current starting pay for Wichita public school custodians is over $12 an hour--contrast this starting wage with the average starting pay for all custodians (which includes the private sector) in the Wichita MSA of $10 an hour.***

In addition to pay, Wichita school custodians receive paid holidays, vacation, sick leave, health insurance, and retirement benefits.

Private custodial companies offer savings by cutting wages and benefits. It is not unusual for a company to cut wages by $2 to $6 an hour with the highest paid (longest term) employees losing the most. Custodians will pay more for health insurance. Private companies rarely offer retirement benefits or pay for time off. Frequently, such companies cut employee hours of work.****

* Wichita Public Schools, EEO-5, Job Analysis, 06/10/2014
** Wichita has one of the sharpest divides between rich and poor, according to study," The Wichita Eagle, 2.25.2016.
*** US Bureau of Labor Statistics
**** "Outsourcing Public Service Rewards Corporations and Punishes the Middle Class," In The Public Interest, June 2014.

Worker Memorial Day, April 28, 2016

From Judy Pierce, President

Wichita Hutchinson Labor Federation

Every year in late April, the unions of the AFL-CIO observe Workers Memorial Day to remember those who have suffered and died on the job and to renew our efforts for safe workplaces. This year the struggle continues to create good jobs in this country that are safe and healthy and to ensure the freedom of workers to form unions and, through their unions, to speak out and bargain for respect and a better future. It’s time for our country to fulfill the promise of safe jobs for all.

Please join the Wichita / Hutchinson Labor Federation as we commemorate Workers Memorial Day with our annual dinner onThursday April 28th, 6pm at the Machinist Hall – 3830 S. Meridian, Wichita. We will have a free catered dinner from Stroud’s Fried Chicken as we remember those Kansas Workers who lost their lives on the job and renew our commitment to fight for good, SAFE, jobs.

Interfaith Worker Justice, Kansas is proud to be an affiliate of the Wichita Hutchinson Labor Federation and a participant in this event.

More information and a flyer you can download / print at: whlaborfed.org

Democracy Awakening: April 16-18

In April 2016, more than 200 organizations representing a diverse array of movements and hundreds of thousands of people are coming together to demand a democracy that works for all of us – a nation where our votes are not denied  and money doesn’t buy access and power. Join us as we converge upon Washington, D.C. for an array of actions, including demonstrations, teach-ins, direct action trainings, music, a Rally for Democracy, and pressing for a Congress of Conscience through non-violent direct action and advocacy. Together we will build a nation that is truly of, by and for the people.

WHY

American democracy is premised on the fundamental tenet, “one person, one vote,” but since the very beginning, we’ve had to fight for every voice to be heard and every vote to be counted. 

Today, we’re fighting for change on many fronts – for action on climate change, racial justice, workers’ rights and fair pay, safe food and water, health care, peace, immigration reform and improvements in education. But an array of barriers are keeping regular Americans shut out of the political process, from restrictive voting laws suppressing the voting rights of people of color, seniors, students, and low-income Americans, to a campaign finance landscape that allows big money to increasingly shape elections and the policy-making process.

For both money in politics and voting rights, the U.S. Supreme Court has eviscerated laws that once protected the voices and votes of everyday Americans. And for both issues, Congress has solutions in front of them, but has so far failed to act. And now the Senate is blocking fair consideration of the nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, including timely hearings and a vote by the full Senate.

It’s time for us to come together and claim a democracy where every voice is heard and every vote counts equally — in other words, a democracy that works for all of us.

It’s time for a Democracy Awakening.

That’s why we are mobilizing. And that’s why we need you to join us.

Our Demands

We need a Congress that stands up for democracy rather than stands in its way. Here’s the agenda we’re calling for Congress to pass:

·         Fair consideration of the nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, including timely hearings and a vote by the full Senate.

·         The Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 2867, S. 1659), legislation that would restore the protections against voting discrimination that were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in its Shelby County v. Holder decision, and make additional, critical updates to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

·         The Voter Empowerment Act (H.R. 12), legislation to modernize voter registration, prevent deceptive practices that keep people from the ballot box and ensure equal access to voting for all.

·         The Democracy For All Amendment (H.J.Res. 22, S.J.Res. 5), a constitutional amendment that would overturn U.S. Supreme Court decisions like Citizens United and allow elected representatives to set commonsense limits on money in elections.

·         The Government By the People Act/Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 20 and S. 1538), a small donor empowerment measure that would encourage and amplify small contributions from everyday Americans.

Our reform agenda is aimed at creating a democracy where every voice is heard and every vote counts equally — in other words, a democracy that works for all of us.

Cllick on the box for a link to Democracy Awakening

 

Copyright © 2016, Democracy Awakening

Website design: Flying Dog Creative

Home page photo: "Civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala" by Peter Pettus (Library of Congress, Public Domain)

Verizon Workers Need Support Now

This morning, April 13, 2016, 36,000 Verizon workers, members of the Communications Workers of America, went on strike. It is the largest labor strike since 45,000 Verizon workers went on strike in 2011.

The workers represent Verizon landline, high-speed Internet, and television services in the Northeast. The union says that the strike will not end until Verizon ends its push to send jobs to Mexico and overseas, stops intimidating Verizon wireless workers, drops demands to cut retirement and benefits, protects job security, and ends the practice of making workers move away from their homes and families for months at a time.

Verizon claims that the workers are ignoring today's digital realities. The company's landline business is declining.

According to CNN, Verizon posted $8.9 billion in operating profits in its wireless business in 2015. The company's wireline business sales were up 9 percent in 2015. CWA reports that the company made $39 billion in profits over the last three years, and $1.8 billion in the first quarter of 2016. Meanwhile, Verizon has outsourced 5,000 jobs.

Nineteen Democratic Senators and Bernie Sanders have written to Verizon and urged the company to reach an agreement. You can join them by going to this link:

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stand-with-striking-verizon-workers-2?source=email&

Support Public School Custodians

The Wichita Kansas public schools, USD 259, like public schools across the state, are under great pressure from the state legislature and lobbyists who favor privatization. The USD 259 Board of Education (BOE) is to be congratulated for their outstanding effort to preserve the quality and to protect the integrity of our public schools in these difficult times. In response to actions taken by the state legislature and the governor, the BOE has reduced programs and staff and enacted efficiencies in a broad range of areas in the last few fiscal years--to the tune of about $30 million. Still more is being demanded. School Superintendent John Allison recently acknowledged that the BOE is in "a terrible position." Every member of the BOE is carefully assessing future reductions in services and programs.

Some lobbyists and legislators are demanding that custodial services be privatized. They argue that this will save money and improve efficiencies. Both claims are questionable. There is no assurance that privatization will actually reduce costs or generate savings. It really depends on who is doing the math and how costs and benefits are calculated. Privatization may actually increase costs and reduce efficiencies.

The following are solid reasons NOT to privatize custodial services:

Privatization undermines the authority of the principal, and reduces the ability of the principal to efficiently and effectively manage the school.

Privatization creates an implicit conflict between the need of the private company to generate a profit, which is the purpose of a private company, and the needs of the school. When conflicts arise the interests of the school will be in second place.

Custodians are members of the staff and part of the social culture of the school. Many custodians have direct and significant relationships with students and staff. Administrators, staff and students rely on custodians for more than minimal services specified in a contractual agreement. These tangible benefits would be lost if custodial services are privatized.

Privatization will most likely result in the loss of good jobs in our community. Custodians earn $12.45 an hour, plus health insurance, and they participate in a retirement plan. Since wages would likely be reduced and benefits pared in order to maximize profits, privatization is a direct threat to the future well-being of custodial workers, their families, and the health of our community,

Therefore, I urge us to support the BOE in their stand against pressure to privatize custodial services. Let us support their efforts to preserve the quality and to protect the integrity of our public schools by maintaining current employment practices.
David Hansen