Hundreds of union members and their supporters gathered for a rally outside the May 15 school board meeting, which had been scheduled to discuss and vote on the plan. "We have a no-strike clause in our contract, so we came to demonstrate as we’ve done before to stop this plan," said one worker.

Later that evening, while the board was discussing an unrelated issue, several dozen AFSCME members marched into the auditorium where hundreds of their co-workers were already seated. The audience erupted in support." Many chanted, "Stand together, demand respect."

School board chair Perla Hantman called a recess for 20 minutes, as the workers took over the meeting, chanting nonstop. By midnight, the board voted 6-3 to postpone action on the privatization plan for one week. The plan had been recommended by a state oversight board in order to cut maintenance costs.

Hundreds of school custodians prepared another protest for the school board meeting May 23. That day the state oversight board gave school administrators and union officials one month to come up with other ways to reduce costs.

In a special afternoon meeting that lasted one minute, school superintendent Merrett Stierheim announced the privatization plan was pulled and Hantman gaveled the meeting closed.

Meanwhile, the Miami-Dade School Board voted May 22 to impose a two-day pay cut on nearly all district employees, effective before June 30. The $30 million cut was taken to "ease a budget crunch" despite vehement objections by labor unions. Hundreds of teachers protested the decision that day, and have continued demonstrations since then.  
 
 
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