NEW ROCHELLE — New Rochelle Crossing Guards Unit members have stopped an effort to outsource their jobs to a California-based for-profit company.
Mayor Noam Bramson and city council members agreed last month to shelve a request for proposals on outsourcing. Officials announced the decision at a city council meeting where council members were expected to vote on a proposal from sole bidder All City Management Services of Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
The crossing guards, appearing in uniform at the meeting, cheered the news.
“Once people in the community became aware of this proposal, they were very much against it,” said Unit President Rosetta Pegues. “You can’t replace the commitment we have to the students, parents and school community. We know these children by name and truly care about them. The community did not want to lose this service.”
The move to shelve the proposal came following tremendous pressure resulting from a CSEA-run anti-outsourcing campaign, which included media outreach, petitions and an email/social media campaign. Not only did community members express outrage over the proposal to hand crossing guard duties over to a
for-profit company, residents expressed opposition to eliminating good jobs in the community.
— Jessica Ladlee
