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The union representing boiler operators in the Detroit Public Schools says Emergency Manager Darnell Earley's insistence on trying to reduce the number of operators poses a great danger to students and staff.
"DPS Emergency Manager Darnell Early just doesn’t get it," the union said in a statement issued Friday. "He refused to reverse course on a plan switching Flint’s water supply that ended up poisoning thousands of children. Now he’s refusing to reverse course on a DPS plan that increases the likelihood children and staff will be at greater risk of fire and explosion from unattended boilers – even after a court struck down the proposal in a ruling recently."
The schools currently have one boiler operator for every school boiler so that there's always someone attending to them during school hours. The district wants to reduce that so that there's one operator for every five boilers.
Michelle Zdrodowski, a spokesperson for Earley, did not immediately return a phone call at her office for comment. A call was also placed to her cell phone, but her voicemail was full.
The union explained that Earley, who was previously the emergency manager in Flint, has appealed a ruling by Wayne County Circuit Judge David J. Allen, who ruled against DPS and the City of Detroit's attempt to reduce the number of operators manning commercial boilers that heat schools.
“One would think that Mr. Early would be more prudent as he prepares to testify about his role in the water poisoning disaster in Flint before a U.S. Congressional Committee and count himself as lucky that Judge Allen stopped him from making a similar mistake in Detroit," said Tom Scott, Eastern Stationary Division Director for the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 324. "Instead he apparently is doubling-down on his mistakes by seeking an appeal – one we feel whose only merit may be in trying to repair the man’s bruised ego.”
Last month, Judge Allen issued a strong rebuke of the plan to reduce the number of operators, the union pointed out.
“Those that put a price tag on public safety, especially of that of children, do so at their (and children’s) peril,” Allen wrote in a ruling. “The court takes notice of the current government induced tainted water crisis debacle in Flint. For those of us that want to listen, it has taught us that when we place financial expediency over basic and critical public health needs, we reap what we sow: Lead poisoning in thousands of children. Let us not have the next headline to go national be: “Detroit Schoolchildren Injured and Killed in Unattended Boiler Explosion.”
Early is stepping down early from his job. His last day is Feb. 29.