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AMHERST SCHOOL COMMITTEE STILL PLAYS LOW BALL WITH THE LUNCH LADIES

June 23rd 2008 17:56
IF LIVE IN AMHERST, MA, AND YOU'RE A BLUE COLLAR WORKER, A LONG-TIME RESIDENT "TOWNIE," AND YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT'S IN STORE FOR YOU, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS SIGN.
Amherst does not want you
Amherst, MA, "Town of Social Justice"


THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE CURRENT BATCH OF BLUE-BLOODS RUNNING THE TOWN ON BEHALF OF THE WELL-TENURED, WELL-PEDIGREED (OR JUST OVER EDUCATED ON PAPER) AND JUST PLAIN WEAL-THY ARE TRYING TO TELL YOU.

THEY ARE PREPARED TO SACRIFICE (WELL, "PRIVATIZE") A HANDFUL OF EXTREMELY LOYAL AND RELIABLE CAFETERIA WORKERS TO SAVE A PALTRY $150,000, EVEN THOUGH THE AMHERST CAFETERIA FOOD SERVICE EMPLOYEES WORKING UNDER CHARTWELLS MANAGED TO AVOID A WHOPPING DEFICIT OF $650,000 LIKE THE ONE FACING SCHOOL OFFICIALS IN SALEM, MA..

AS IN AMHERST, IT WASN'T THE CAFETERIA STAFF WHO ROLLED UP ANY UNNECESSARY TAB: IT WAS CHARTWELL'S "MANAGEMENT."
Salem (MA) Witch House Museum
Salem's Witch House Museum: But time for a witch hunt in Amherst?


FUNNY HOW SALEM COULD MANAGE TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION AND THE OPPOSING SIDES HAD HALF-A-MILLION BUCKS DIVIDING THEM COMPARED TO THE SITUATION IN AMHERST. BELIEVE ME, IF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE HAD ANY PRESSURE FROM THEIR PROFESSORIAL BUDDIES WORKING AT UMASS/AMHERST AND THE OTHER COLLEGES TO ENSURE START UP A PROGRAM THAT WOULD ENSURE AMHERST'S "BEST AND BRIGHTEST" KIDS A SURE-FOOTED ADVANTAGE WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING INTO ONLY THE "BEST SCHOOLS," -- THAT COMMITTEE WOULD PROBABLY PRINT ITS OWN DOUGH -- PERHAPS ON THE NEW $12,000 COPIER IT JUST BOUGHT. AT LEAST THAT MIGHT "JUSTIFY" THE SACKING ONE LUNCH LADY'S JOB.

BUT THIS COMMITTEE HAS A LOT MORE 'SPLAININ' TO DO CONCERNING ITS UNWILLINGNESS TO KEEP ITS WORD OF HONOR CONCERNING AN OFFICIAL LETTER SENT OUT BY THE COMMITTEE TO EACH CAFETERIA WORKER BACK IN 2003 WHEN THEY PLANNED ON CONTRACTING OUT TO CHARTWELLS COME HELL OR HIGH WATER.

ONE CAFETERIA WORKER, MARY FULLER WROTE IN THE AMHERST (MA) BULLETIN LAST WEEK:

Most of the discussions concerning the lunch ladies were made behind closed doors. We had no idea of what was going on until we were called into meetings with only one or two days notice and were given the new severance package information.

The letter we were given when Chartwells was hired stated, "We wish to assure each of you, our highly dedicated food service employees, that your positions are secure and that you will continue to be direct employees of the school district."

To me that says we are employees until WE decide to retire or leave for other reasons.


I can say for myself and I am sure my co-workers would agree, we do our jobs for the kids. We enjoy seeing them at breakfast and lunch and we do care about each and every one of them.

I just want to say thank you to all the many supporters of the "lunch ladies". I am grateful for all the support some have given to us.

CYNTHIA RHODES PUT IT MORE BLUNTLY, HOPING PERHAPS THAT WITH THE SCHOOL'S RECENT INFATUATION WITH "SOCIAL JUSTICE" WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY MIGHT REGISTER.THE LAST TIME I SAW HER, CYNDI'S FACE WASN'T BLUE,

To the Bulletin: We are a small group of trusting women that should have never been forced to scratch and claw for a 15 to 20 thousand dollar a year job.

When the superintendent stooped so low as to rebut our letter that we were not the lowest paid, he was comparing those of us who have worked for many years to staring wages of other school position's that range from $11 up to over $19 and hour. We are all below that after 15 to 30 years of service.

We knew we were never going to get rich working at these jobs. We only work 10 months a year. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that we are working mostly for the children and the benefits. Now after working almost half of our lives under Hampshire County retirement we are being forced to go under Social Security. Many of my co-worker's and myself are sick and tired of the disrespect we have been given. This will come back to haunt the school district and I feel sorry because the children are the ones that are going to really suffer because of this very poor and not very well thought out decision. The superintendent is leaving for greener pastures and leaving the town with the mess that he started.
I want to thank everyone that has supported us through this tough time.

THESE WOMEN AREN'T RADICALS, TROUBLEMAKERS, OR ANYTHING OF THAT SORT. THEY'RE WIVES, MOMS, GOOD, SALT O' THE EARTH, SOLID AND LOYAL WORKERS GIRL SCOUT VOLUNTEERS, PTO MEMBERS, YOU NAME IT-- AND THEY BECOME POSITIVELY INVOLVED IN THEIR LOCAL TOWNS NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE. AND THIS IS TRUE FOR ANY AND ALL OF THE SO-CALLED "LOW- END" WORKERS WHO STAND TO LOSE THE MOST IN THIS "NEW PARADIGM" OF RAW DOG-EAT-DOG ECONOMIC DARWINISM.

IT'S OBVIOUS, THE ARTSY-FARTSY SET, THE WELL-DUG IN, AND THE NEWLY WEALTHY BUNCH THAT''S BEEN POURING INTO THE TOWN LATELY MAY HAVE IN MIND THE RESHAPING OF THE ONCE WELL-MIXED COLLEGE TOWN INTO YET ANOTHER ASPEN. THAT'S NOT PROGRESS NO MATTER HOW THEY TRY AND PULL THAT WOOL OVER PEOPLES' EYES.

IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING TO STAY IN THE MIDDLE CLASS AND YOU LIVE IN A COLLEGE TOWN, PRAY TO THE ALMIGHTY THAT IT NEVER GETS "DISCOVERED" BY YUPPIES. THESE STATUS SEEKING-TOWN SUCKING PARASITES WILL COME IN, BUILD THEIR MC-MANSIONS AND DEMAND A DEERFIELD ACADEMY EDUCATION FOR THEIR KIDS, ON TOP OF POLICE, FIRE, SEWER AND OTHER SERVICES--AND ALL FOR UNDER SIX GRAND. BUT IF THAT MEANS DRIVING THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THE TOWN SO ATTRACTIVE IN THE FIRST PLACE, OUT OF TOWN, HEY, WHAT'S THAT TO THIS BUNCH?

If they feel they can get away with stripping retirement benefits, personal, some paid holidays and worst of all, 12 sick days on top of stiffing these women with an outrageous health plan nobody in their right mind would willingly accept for themselves save for the pressure of economic duress -- well, hell's bells, what's it to their "consciences" if they can stick it to some soon-to-be-former-public-scho ol-cafeteria-workers. Welcome to the new world of economic Darwinism folks. There sho' ain't any Intelligent Design in all of this, not to mention any morality or "social justice" in it all.

EVEN EMILY DICKINSON, WHO WAS PART OF AMHERST'S ORIGINAL "IN-CROWD" WOULD ROLL HER EYES 'ROUND AT THIS KIND OF "PROGRESS."
Emily Dickinson of Amherst
Emily was a "Townie,

BUT I WOULDN'T PUT IT PAST THE KIND OF FOLKS THE AMHERST SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND ANY OTHERS LIKE IT, CAN'T CURRY ENOUGH FAVOR FROM.

THEY--THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND THE FORMER SUPERINTENDENT JERE HOCHMAN, NOW WORKING IN CUSHY BEDFORD FALLS, NY FOR $250,000 -- KNEW DAMN WELL WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PUBLIC EMPLOYEES GET PRIVATIZED AND WHY THEY WERE DOING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. THEY LIED THROUGH THEIR TEETH THEN, AND NOW THEY'RE TRYING THEIR UTMOST TO CONTINUE WORMING THEIR WAY OUT OF BOTH WHAT THEY PUT IN THAT LETTER--AND--EVERY DECEITFUL MEANS THEY'VE CONCOCTED TO GET OUT OF THIS HOLE THEY PUT THEIR CREDIBILITY IN.
CHARTWELLS WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE EARNED A PROFIT BACK IN 2004, BUT DIDN'T. AND YET THESE "PUBLIC SERVANTS" CONSISTENTLY TURNED A BLIND EYE TO CHARTWELLS' INABILITY TO COME THROUGH WITH THE PROFITS IT PROMISED.

THIS CAN BE CORRECTED IN A MATTER OF DAYS, PERHAPS EVEN HOURS OR MINUTES. IN FACT, IF YOU FIND WHAT HAPPENED TO THESE WOMEN IN AMHERST AN OUTRAGE AGAINST ALL WORKING PEOPLE, TAKE A STAND AND SEND THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AN EMAIL MESSAGE. THEY'RE PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND THEY'RE VERY BIG INTO HEARING "INPUT" SO AS TO "KEEP THEM ACCOUNTABLE."
YES, AS I ADMITTED UP FRONT IN MY FIRST POSTING ON THIS SUBJECT, MY WIFE IS ONE OF THE LADIES; BUT I'M PUTTING THIS OUT FOR EVERY, AND I MEAN EVERY "LOW-END" PUBLIC EMPLOYEE WHO DO MOST OF THE DIRTY WORK THAT THESE BLUE-BLOODS TAKE FOR GRANTED AND WOULDN'T EVEN THINK OF PERFORMING.

THIS ISN'T JUST AN AMHERST (MA) LOCAL LABOR DISPUTE: THIS IS A HORRIBLE PATTERN THAT'S GROWING ALL OVER THE WORLD AND IN THE NAME OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE, IT HAS TO END.

THANKFULLY, THE LADIES OF SALEM SUCCEEDED IN STRIKING A WONDERFUL BLOW. LET'S KEEP IT GOING. AFTER ALL, SOME OF YOU MIGHT HAVE A MOTHER, A SISTER, DAUGHTER, COUSIN, FRIEND OR CASUAL ACQUAINTAINCE WORKING IN A SCHOOL CAFETERIA, CUSTODIAL JOB OR DRIVING A SCHOOL BUS, AND ONLY WANT THEIR BEST INTERESTS AT HEART.

THEIR BEST INTERESTS DON'T INCLUDE BEING LIED TO, THROWN INTO A LOWER-BENEFITTED JOB, LOSE PAID TIME OFF, AND GETTING STUCK WITH A FAMILY HEALTH INSURANCE "PLAN" THAT COMES WITH A $6,000 FAMILY DEDUCTIBLE.
BY ALL MEANS, CONTACT THESE PUBLIC SERVANTS: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN AMHERST RESIDENT TO HAVE ANY "STANDING." YOU ONLY NEED TO PAY FEDERAL TAXES. SINCE THE COMMITTEE'S ALWAYS WHINING ABOUT HOW LITTLE IT GETS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, I.E. MONEY FROM TAXPAYERS IN AK, AS, AL, CA, WA, HI, CO, AZ, MS, MO, MI, SC, KY, OH, IL, NY, NJ, NH, VT, ME, RI, AND CT AMONG OTHERS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO REMIND THEM THAT IT'S NEVER POLITE FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT ANY LEVEL TO LECTURE THE TAXPAYERS AND BE SEEN AS WHINERS FOR MORE AND MORE OF YOUR MONEY KEEP THEIR FAVORITE TROUGHS FILLED WITH ALL SORTS OF GOODIES, AND ONE OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH-SALARIED AND BENEFITTED ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AFTER ANOTHER; WHILST THE TURNOVER RATE IN THE FOOD SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ZERO UNTIL THIS YEAR'S FLOCK OF FORCED RETIREMENTS THANKS TO THIS OUTSOURCING SCAM.

mwhussin@crocker.com
kdqanderson@hotmail.com
elbrighty@amherst.edu
achurchill@educ.umass.edu
mecclestone@comcast.net
mjorgensen@rcn.com
spope@sabis.net
mail@mkatz.com
casanderson@amherst.edu

GIVE THEM THEIR DUE RESPECT AS PUBLIC OFFICIALS, BUT DON'T OVER-DO IT; AFTER ALL, THE COMMITTEE HASN'T COME CLOSE TO GIVING THE LUNCH LADIES THE RESPECT THEY DESERVE, MUCH LESS SHOWING THEM GENUINE CONCERN AND HONESTY.

ASK THEM WHY CAN'T THEY BE HONEST AND STOP WORKING OVER THESE WOMEN, MANY OF WHOM PROBABLY SERVED THEIR KIDS AND FOR A PITTANCE OF WHAT THEY TRULY DESERVE.
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