Charter Schools and Non-unionized Maintenance Workers

The city as far as I am aware is bound to pay union scale for the trades. Guiliani tried to get around this and there were large angry demos about this. Remember the Daily News pix of the carpenter punching a police horse in the jaw when the cops tried to halt their march through mid town?

Anyway, all these renovations that the Charters do to their halls and classrooms, are they performed by unionized labor? Are the contracts for such projects no bid? I wonder how things are run at the UFT's own charter schools?

Phase II of mayoral control is charters and school closings big time. We need all the help we can get. The building trades unions (including the operating engineers which the school custodian belongs to I believe) might see their interests at stake here and take an interest even though Unity caucus thinks charters are just dandy.

Sean

Sean,

You raise good questions re: wages for those maintenance/custodial/repair worker wages. See posts below on recent court ruling. I would think that

Charters will use this ruling to their favor even in a Public School Building housing their charterschool. [highlights are mine.]

Check out basis: "private educational corporations such as charter schools"....But don't they claim to be public!!!!!!!!

Angel

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090402/NEWS/90402036&template=printart

Court: NY charter schools not subject to prevailing wage laws

April 02, 2009 3:50 PM

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- A New York appeals court says charter schools' contracts for construction, renovation, repair and maintenance are not subject to a state labor law requiring payment of prevailing wage rates.

The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court is reversing trial courts and the state Labor Department's 2007 opinion that followed an amendment to the law.

According to the appeals court ruling Thursday, the prevailing wage provisions apply to contracts by public agencies or third parties either acting on their behalf or as beneficiaries.

The five justices ruled the law limits application of the wage rule and does not specifically apply to private educational corporations such as charter schools, which hope to save money by negotiating less costly contracts.