Teacher Unions Protest Layoffs Of Hundreds Of School Employees

[struggle4progress]

October 7, 2011 5:47 PM

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Hundreds of school employees from some of New York City’s poorest neighborhoods are joining the ranks of the unemployed.

Teacher unions railed against the Department of Education and Mayor Michael Bloomberg after more than 700 teacher aids and support staff were handed pink slips. Friday was the last day of class for laid off workers, including Cliftonia Johnson, a 13-year veteran of the DOE and an outreach specialist at Montevalley High School.

“To be put out on the street like this, I am extremely angry,” she told CBS 2′s Kathryn Brown. “Somebody needs to do something about this and truly investigate what’s going on.”

This is the largest number of city workers to be laid off at one time since Mayor Bloomberg took office. Department officials said the cuts will save $35 million ...

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/10/07/teacher-unions-protest-layoffs-of-hundreds-of-school-employees/