Building Safety: Finding solutions for old, sick buildings
Finding solutions for old, sick buildings
The problem of deteriorating schools and unhealthy buildings began long before the formation of New York State United Teachers in 1972. A majority of the state's schools are between 40 and 90 years old. Health and safety risks to children and staff, found today in one of every four buildings statewide, are primarily due to the ravages of time.
Many schools exhibit sick building syndrome, in which unhealthy indoor air recirculates in schools built to be energy-efficient. Other schools have dangerous fire hazards such as exposed wiring, overcrowded hallways and blocked exits.
In districts large and small, union leaders have spent the last three decades struggling to fix problems ranging from asbestos to water damage. Many local unions have formed health and safety committees that draw attention to problems and work on solutions.
On the state level, the union continues to fight for buildings to make communities proud. NYSUT lobbyists are working to convince the Legislature to add more money to the increase in school-facility funds proposed in January 1998 in Gov. George Pataki's executive budget.
Fortunate timing
Former Rome Teachers Association President Michael Kunkel recounted a 1983 tale of teaching in a classroom where water leaked from the ceiling: "The building's roof was shot. We put buckets around the room to catch the drops. But children don't learn well when they're watching a bucket fill with water. Not long afterward, a large section of the ceiling above the desks broke loose and fell. Fortunately, it collapsed when no one was under it."
This and other problems - including faulty heat and wiring, and wheelchair access - caused the Rome TA to join forces with the school board and seek solutions, said current local President Lou Campola.
"There's still a lot of work to do," he said. "But the good results are visible."
Sylvia Matousek, president of the North Syracuse Education Association, remembers when a roof collapsed in 1979 - again, when school was not in session.
The district transferred 420 children and staff to an unused school in a neighboring district for a semester while the roof was rebuilt. "That was a terrible upheaval, and we lost credibility with the community," said Matousek.
Things changed for the better with the hiring of a new superintendent in 1993. "He came in with a plan to fix things one step at a time. We are working together and making steady progress," Matousek said.
Unfortunate message
In New York City, the collective condition of buildings creates physical risks, and sends a sobering message to students and staff: This is what you're worth.
The United Federation of Teachers, fed up with classrooms "unfit for habitation," filed suit in 1994 against New York City to force government agencies to enforce building codes, perform periodic inspections of school buildings, promptly investigate complaints of code violations and make timely repairs. The case resulted in a resounding victory for students and the union in a March 30, 1998 ruling.
At the time, former UFT President Sandy Feldman said, "If a private landlord kept an apartment building in this condition, he'd be called a slumlord."
In countless city schools, broken walls and ceilings, shattered windows, leaking pipes, exposed wiring, infested cafeterias, bullet holes and broken toilets mar the learning atmosphere and endanger students and staff.
"Our members, through their sheer dedication, continue to rise above their surroundings to create a place of hope and learning," said UFT President Randi Weingarten.
Catherine Davenport of the UFT, chairwoman of NYSUT's Health and Safety Task Force, lauded the progress the union has made in drawing attention to conditions at the schools in most desperate need of maintenance in each borough. "It's piecemeal, but it's working," she said.
Discussing the prevalence of sick buildings, Jim Wood, NYSUT director of field services, said, "Union involvement has been key in improving many critical situations statewide. Documenting the problem is the critical first step where we've made huge progress."
There's still a lot to do, he added, and the union's role continues to be raising consciousness and spurring progress.