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Unions press school board on custodial contractor wages and alleged electrical code problems at Westside High
Summary
Union representatives told the board that custodial vendor HES has struggled to recruit and retain staff and pays low wages, while an electrical union documented code and workmanship issues in a Westside High classroom remodel.
Union leaders told the Duval County School Board on Tuesday that contracted services for custodial and electrical work are falling short of district standards.
ASME president Mister Brown said the district's custodial contractor, HES, has struggled to hire and retain enough staff this year and that employees reported low pay and late or missed overtime payments. “HES has not demonstrated superior performance, nor are they able to hire and retain custodial staff to perform the needed services,” Brown said, adding that the current custodial contract was described in the meeting packet as $34,357,633.
Separately, Frank DeLong, representing IBEW Local 177, presented photos and an itemized estimate that he said show National Electric Code violations and substandard installation in a newly renovated entrepreneur classroom at Westside High School. DeLong described conduit not connected, missing anti-short bushings, tightly pulled conductors and light fixtures that required re-securing after installation; he said the contractor’s schedule had left a single-week job incomplete for months.
“Four months for a week-long project, that's sad,” DeLong said, urging the board to require higher standards and to consider hiring more qualified local tradespeople to complete small renovation work on schedule. He and Brown both recommended that future procurement or requests for proposals include standards and enforcement mechanisms to hold contractors accountable.
Board members did not take immediate action at the meeting but heard the complaints during the designated employee organization portion of the agenda. Union leaders asked the board and administration to inspect work, ensure proper personal protective equipment and timely payment, and apply stronger contract oversight on future bids.
