School district, union at odds over janitors' sickness

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School district, union at odds over janitors' sickness

Houston Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5103543.html

HOUSTON — An elementary school where seven janitors got sick this

weekend is safe and will be open to students on Tuesday, despite

union concerns about mold problems in the building.

Houston Independent School District spokesman Terry Abbott said the

janitors became sick Saturday after inhaling bleach fumes during

routine cleaning at Key Middle School in northeast Houston. The

janitors were treated at a nearby hospital and released, he said.

" We've had a number of inspections done by internal experts and

independent external experts, " Abbott said. " None of them have found

any unusual levels of mold or any problems at the school. "

But Starla Reichek, vice president for nurses with the Texas

Federation of Teachers, said a strong bad smell in the school is a

sign that something is wrong.

Reichek, who is also in her first year as nurse at Key Middle

School, said she noticed the smell on her first day in the building.

" They need to clean it up, " she said. " Whatever it takes. The

building needs to smell right. You shouldn't see visible mold and

mildew on the wall. "

Abbott said the district reacts quickly to clean up mold when it's

reported. In the case of Key, a small amount of mold was found in

one annex building, but the sickened janitors were working elsewhere

at the time, he said.

" They weren't in the annex, " he said. " They were all up on the

second floor of the main building. "

Gayle Fallon, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, said

mold is " all over " the school and she became sick Wednesday after

visiting.

" By the time I got out of the building, I had a headache, my eyes

were watering and I was congested, " she said. " I wasn't when I

walked in there. "

Wretha , president of the Houston Educational Support

Personnel Union, said the district relied on untrained janitors to

take care of a problem that should have been handled by specialists.

She said the union, which represents district custodians, will

gather in front of the school Monday to protest the district's

decision to keep the campus open.

" We're going to ask (them) not to send the kids back until they get

a professional team to go in there and comb that school from one end

to the other, " said.

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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com