DPS Workers Expected To Gather For Emergency Meeting
DETROIT (WWJ) - Hundreds of Detroit Public School special education teacher assistants, special education bus attendants, food service workers and school technicians are expected to gather Friday afternoon for an emergency meeting.
AFSCME Local 345 is hosting the meeting to take action against the "draconian wage and benefit cuts imposed on working families making less than $20,000 a year."
The organization said nearly 1,000 of DPS's lowest paid workers are taking action to enforce the contract they signed with the state appointed emergency manager on May 15, 2010. The contract saves the school district $10.5 million in wage and benefit concessions and lasts until December 31, 2013.
The group believes the state is breaking that contract and is seeking to reduce the average take home pay of these families by 10-percent to around $550 per two-week paycheck while simultaneously increasing healthcare costs.
Local 345 members are lunchroom servers, bus attendants for special need students, teacher aids for special needs students and school technicians.
The meeting takes place Friday at 2:00 pm at the Walker-Roehrig Building in Detroit.
