By Stacey Tucker (Contact / Staff Bio)
June 24, 2009 - 12:29 p.m. EST

CASS CITY — Cries erupted in the Cass City High School gymnasium Monday evening after a decision was made regarding the school’s support staff.

By a vote 4-to-3, the board approved the privatization of custodial services, resulting in six custodian jobs being cut.

“We never thought we would be here tonight fighting for our jobs,” said Dan Manwell, union stewart for custodians. “Especially after all the concessions we have made.”

Just a few short weeks ago, the custodians were approached by superintendent Ronald Wilson and asked if they would consider taking a pay freeze.

“The support staff agreed to the pay freeze and would have been willing to make more concessions if necessary,” Manwell said. “We deserve to be treated better than this.”

The board has decided to switch to D.M. Burr Facilities Management Inc. for janitorial services.

The current custodial staff cost Cass City schools a sum of $385,023 a year while D.M. Burr will cost the schools only $204,288 a year. That would mean a savings of roughly $180,000 a year for the schools.

The new company is willing to interview the former employees for a job in the company at a pay scale of $8.50 - $9 an hour without benefits.

School board member Michelle Biddinger said have been exhausted all other possibilities and this change will have the most impact on the school’s budget.

“We have cut and cut and cut,” she said. “It’s easy to come here and be critical of these decisions.

“It’s come to the point that do we want to cut programs in the classrooms or change our custodial services?”

School board member Danny Haag said he feels very uneasy making the decision to privatize custodial services.

“The staff has gone above and beyond,” he said. “I have a major concern about taking the legs from under those individuals and saying ‘have a good life.’

“I don’t feel comfortable doing that.”

Wilson said this is a decision no one feels comfortable with, but they have run out of options.

“If the board didn’t make this cut right now, it might buy us another year,” he said. “Nobody up here likes the idea of privatizing.

“It’s a terrible situation, but what other options do we really have?”

D.M. Burr representatives said they would be ready to take their positions at the school by the beginning of July.