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SEIU representatives tell council District 130 is contracting out custodial work and prosecuting employees
Summary
SEIU Local 73 representatives told the Blue Island City Council that custodial staff at School District 130 have been understaffed, that the district is contracting out work and that at least one custodian was arrested; the union urged city involvement and said it has documented examples and flyers it left with staff.
Ricky Balmer, a representative of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, told the council the union represents custodians and maintenance staff in Blue Island School District 130 and described what he called systematic understaffing, contracting out of work and the misuse of public funds.
Balmer said one union custodian — described in the transcript as a grandmother — was arrested and handcuffed and held for several hours after an alleged early-departure incident. "This district... sent the police to her home to do this," Balmer said, calling the arrest "outrageous" and part of a pattern that the union sees as a manufactured crisis to justify contracting out work. He said contractors are being paid for services that union members could perform and called this a misuse of millions of dollars.
Shane Marshall, division director for Local 73, urged the council not to "sit on the sidelines" and asked the governing body to get involved. Marshall alleged the district had eliminated a shift, removed positions and used the police to press charges tied to timekeeping disputes; he said the union wanted the council’s help with oversight and bargaining access.
A SEIU field agent present at the meeting elaborated on staffing and training concerns, said the union would provide photos and a QR code to document custodians’ work, and left materials for the council to review. The union speakers asked the council to help ensure public tax dollars support in-house staff rather than external contractors.
No formal city action was recorded at the meeting; council members thanked speakers and continued the agenda. The union requested follow-up and invited the council to participate in bargaining sessions as observers.
Ending: Union representatives left documentation and asked the city for involvement; council did not adopt immediate measures on the record but acknowledged the concerns and said staff would be available for follow-up.
