SEIU Members Tell Their Stories

MCGEO is not the only public employee union swarming the County Council building over budget concerns. SEIU Local 500, which represents school support staff, is going to do it too tomorrow. Following is an email the union sent to its members on Friday.

Dear [Member],

My name is Deb Sanders and I'm a paraeducator at John T. Baker Middle School in Damascus. I am writing to you today as a fellow MCPS staff member and SEIU Local 500 member and asking you to stand with me.

On Monday, May 17th, I will visit the Montgomery County Council, along with other Local 500 members, to deliver a message to council members - it's simple:

We are already sacrificing. You may not see it, but we see the effects of cuts every day. I've had my own hours cut and so have many of my coworkers; we're already struggling to keep up the high standards we hold ourselves to. Further cuts to MCPS would damage our schools, possibly beyond repair.

County Executive Leggett delivered to you, the Council, a balanced budget. Pass it. Don't try to cut to force furloughs on MCPS staff in the name of "fairness." Anyone with any sense who knows our situation knows that wouldn't be fair.

I'm going to deliver this message and share my own story; won't you share your story too?

Simply visit http://500.seiu.org/page/s/MCPSstory and write a few sentences about who you are, where you work, and what you and your coworkers have already sacrificed - we'll print off your story along with hundreds of others and deliver them to the County Council.

Even if you've emailed, even if you've called, I'm urging you to take this additional step.

http://500.seiu.org/page/s/MCPSstory

The more MCPS voices the Council hears the harder it will be for them to ignore the truth: that further cuts to MCPS's budget are neither necessary nor fair.

Thank you,

Deb Sanders

SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION LOCAL 500
901 Russell Avenue, Suite 300, Gaithersburg, MD 20879