School Committee Rescinds Cuts After NAGE, Cafeteria Workers Protest
July 3, 2008
With private meetings and public protests, the Worcester, Mass. school cafeteria workers, NAGE National Representative Bernie Loughnane and NAGE Attorney Timothy Bailey convinced the School Committee to restore the cuts made to the workers’ hours.
For next year’s budget, School Committee members had originally proposed eliminating 23 vacant cafeteria positions and reducing the hours of the remaining 45 lunch workers by as much as 10 hours a week. The city notified Loughnane about the reductions in May. He and the Local R01-016 executive board met with the HR manager but the meeting didn’t yield any solution. He then wrote to the HR manager demanding that the city cease and desist the changes, which violated both civil service and the state’s collective bargaining law. The HR manager blamed the union for what he called an impasse (even though there had been no bargaining, as the law required) and sent out the reduction letters in early June.
Loughnane teamed with attorney Bailey and the members of Local R01-016 to begin a full-court press and solicit allies. Three school committee members attended a members’ meeting. Ideas to turn the situation around were discussed at length and the committee members took many of them to a meeting that same afternoon with the Nutrition Department. Members started phoning committee members to drum up support for the cause.
They were also strongly encouraged to participate in an informational picket on June 18 and 19—which they did in force. More than 100 members and a like number of well-wishers showed up as cars and trucks offered the music of their horns as they circled City Hall. Inside on the 19th, Loughnane, Bailey and a large contingent of cafeteria workers were on hand as the School Committee voted to rescind the proposed reduction in hours.
“This is a big win for NAGE and the cafeteria workers,” said Loughnane, who said the local executive board and members all worked with him to bring members together. “It was extremely gratifying to look around as members supporters alike gathered outside of City Hall after the School Committee vote and realized what they had accomplished. This was truly a joint effort and one that I was proud to be a part of.”