Making Change Happen for Custodial Workers in Miami-Dade Public Schools

Our work changes. What we do, how we do it and where we do it often evolves over the course of our career. For custodial workers in Miami-Dade County, demographic and budget changes have created situations where is far too much real estate to be properly cleaned and maintained by the staff allocated to do it.

But the workers, part of AFSCME Local 1184, have been working with their leaders and allies on the school board, such as board member Steve Gallon, to revisit previous staffing decisions. Those changes allocated staff based on a school’s enrollment, not the square footage of the buildings the staff were responsible for. This has in many places increased workloads, limited proper hiring processes and impacted moral.

But change is coming following a recent school board meeting where board members unanimously approved a proposal to reevaluate staffing proposals and, working with AFSCME Local 1184 leaders and members, put together recommendations for change.

To read about how AFSCME sisters and brothers are creating positive change, read this story in the Miami Herald.