Discovery of mercury in janitor's closet prompts school closure

WOONSOCKET, RI — Students at Woonsocket Middle School are getting an unexpected three-day weekend after state and school officials agreed it is in everyone's best interest to close the school as a precaution following a mercury spill, according to WLNE-TV.

According to the story, a small amount of mercury was discovered earlier in the week while a janitor's closet was being cleaned out.

The spill was cleaned up, the area vented and the air was tested and deemed safe and within the acceptable range, the story stated.

A follow-up check yesterday found elevated — but still acceptable — levels of vapor in the closet, prompting the joint decision from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to close the school, the story noted.

Students and staff from Woonsocket Middle School are moving into two new buildings and today would have been the last day of classes in the current building, the story added.

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Allegan County looks to save money by outsourcing custodial services

ALLEGAN, MI — In an effort to save money, Allegan County will outsource its custodial operations by February 2010, according to the Holland Sentinel.

According to the story, The Allegan County Board of Commissioners recently approved a bid from CSM Services to clean eight county buildings.

Allegan County, which currently spends $443,000 per year for labor and cleaning supplies, will save $183,000 each year of the proposed three-year contract, the story stated.

Commissioner Fritz Spreitzer said: "They've given loyal service. They do a good job. There are other areas to look at before we get rid of people."

Current Allegan County custodians are highly encouraged to apply for positions with CSM Services; many commissioners hope they receive preferential treatment from the contractor, the story noted.

Though CSM Services was not the lowest bid, their offer to provide custodial services in eight buildings for $260,000 a year was accepted, the story added.

Bob Wakeman, Allegan County Facilities Management director, said: "A lot of things entered in to it other than the dollar amount. Some said they could do twice the work in half the time. Something just didn't equate."

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ARAMARK to cut 118 jobs

NORWELL, MA — The ARAMARK Corporation has plans to cut 118 jobs at its Wearguard-Crest apparel plant at the end of December, according to the Patriot Ledger.

The layoffs had been anticipated since the company told employees over the summer that it had put the Norwell facility up for sale and would move much of its manufacturing operations to other plants in the states of Nevada and Virginia, the story stated.

ARAMARK spokeswoman Sarah Jarvis said: "While never an easy decision, ARAMARK is committed to treating those who are leaving with dignity and respect, and doing as much as we can to ease their transition."

The cuts, effective December 31, 2009, affect 58 distribution jobs, 42 manufacturing jobs and a handful of support staff, the story noted.

It remains unclear how many employees will remain after the layoffs, but ARAMARK has said they will maintain a presence on Norwell, the story added.

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Court affirms that Cintas violated employee rights

CINCINNATI — The 8^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision against JanSan service provider and uniform supplier Cintas Corporation, affirming that the company violated employee rights by cracking down on workers who showed union support, according to the Associated Press.

The federal complaint charged that Cintas violated restrictions against employer interference with workers' rights to organize, join or assist unions and breached prohibitions of discriminating against workers to discourage union membership, the story stated.

According to the story, the case is the latest round in several years of legal fights over efforts to unionize Cintas workers by the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees-Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union (UNITE-HERE).

Judge Diana E. Murphy, responding to a Cintas contention that UNITE-HERE's campaign was unlawful and unprotected activity, said: "We have been unable to find a reported case in which an employer has sought to use a union's national campaign as a defense to unfair labor practice charges involving individual employee activity."

The NLRB found that Cintas used unfair labor practices when it warned employees against wearing pro-union stickers and hats and confiscated pro-union fliers from a break room in Charlotte, the story noted.

Cintas has been told to remove any references to disciplinary action for wearing pro-union material from company files, to stop interfering with employee rights and to post explanations of the NLRB decision at its Charlotte and Branford, Connecticut, facilities, the story added.

To read the entire NLRB decision, click here.

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Janitor terminated after assaulting a student

STRUTHERS, OH — The Struthers City School District Board of Education recently voted unanimously to fire a Struthers High School janitor accused of assaulting a student, according to the Vindicator.

Jennifer Lucansky's dismissal stems from a November 16 incident where she walked into a classroom, grabbed a 17-year-old girl by the back of the neck and told her: "Stop writing your name on the [expletive] white boards," the story stated.

According to a report, Lucansky, who has been with the Struthers City School District for 17 years, left the room and continued with her janitorial duties after the outburst.

Lucansky has had "a series of prior reprimands and unpaid suspensions for misconduct," but Struthers City School District Superintendent Robert Rostan said there were no episodes "of this type" with students before, the story noted.

Lucansky, who faces criminal charges of assault and menacing — both misdemeanors — and has a preliminary hearing in Struthers Municipal Court set for May 7, was on paid leave until her termination, the story added.

According to Ron Blatt, field representative for the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, Lucansky will file a grievance against the Struthers City School District.

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Norovirus outbreak sickens hundreds

STATEN ISLAND, NY — About 250 students from Public School 3 stayed home from school yesterday after becoming ill with norovirus, a highly contagious gastrointestinal disease whose eradication requires extensive cleaning of surfaces, according to the Staten Island Advance.

Many students began vomiting and exhibiting other signs of norovirus while in class on Friday, prompting many to go home, the story stated.

Margie Feinberg, a U.S. Department of Education spokeswoman, said: "During the winter months, a virus called norovirus spreads easily among school children, causing vomiting and diarrhea. Most people get better in 1 to 2 days."

In a letter sent home with students, parents and guardians were told that the virus can spread through surfaces, such as handrails and doorknobs, by sharing food with someone with the virus or by eating foods or drinking liquids that are contaminated, the story noted.

According to the story, some parents of healthy children said they planned to keep their children home for several days to avoid catching the virus from their classmates.

There have been no reports of a norovirus outbreak at any other local schools and it is believed to be contained to Public School 3 at this time, the story added.

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Graffiti abatement crews cause trepidation in taggers

VISALIA, CA — The city of Visalia's graffiti abatement crews have a goal of removing unsightly tags within 48 hours of being sprayed, an objective the part-time employees strive to meet, according to the Visalia Times-Delta.

Receiving over a dozen calls per day, the crews, part of the city of Visalia Parks and Recreation Department, work more than 1,000 hours per year logging cases and painting over the tags in two-man crews, the story stated.

Eliseo Martinez, a graffiti abatement crew member, said: "We have to get these [hot-line calls] done as quickly as possible. It's important to show the community we respond fast and care about the city. We try to get to graffiti around schools so the gangs don't recruit the kids as they walk home."

The city's Graffiti Abatement Program has a yearly budget of roughly $113,000, which provides equipment, supplies and salaries for the crew members who typically work from 7 a.m. to noon Monday through Saturday, the story noted.

According to the story, each site is photographed before and after it is cleaned and photos are handed over to the Visalia Police Department and archived for future use.

Abatement crews use darker colored paints to cover walls that have been tagged in order to discourage those who use red and blue paint, colors generally chosen by gangs, the story added.

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