Aspira lays off most of security staff at Olney High

The charter-school operator Aspira Inc. of Pennsylvania abruptly laid off 18 of its 23 security employees at Olney Charter High School on Tuesday in the midst of a union-organizing drive.

Members of what Aspira calls the school's "safety team" said they were summoned to the human resources office at the nonprofit's headquarters in Hunting Park and told they were being terminated because of "budget problems."

"They never discussed anything before about a budget anything," said Louis Alvarez, who had been a member of Aspira's safety team at Olney for two years. "This came out of nowhere."

Staffers were told that they would receive their last paycheck Friday and that their health insurance would end June 30.

Alvarez and others at the charter school, with 1,780 students, said they believe they were terminated in retaliation for trying to organize a union to represent staffers who provide security at Olney, including defusing fights and screening for weapons.

"We were trying to unionize for unfair labor practices, a hostile work environment, and unsafe working conditions," said Alvarez, 34, an Army veteran.

Safety team members are 12-month employees. Some were expecting to provide security for students who have returned to complete academic credits or attend summer school.

Others such as Gregory Thomas, 55, who had worked at Olney for four years, said the employees also were tapped during the summer for maintenance and painting duties.

A spokesman for Aspira denied the layoffs were tied to union efforts.

"Like most district schools, Olney Charter is experiencing significant budget pressures, and the staff reductions – including but not limited to members of the safety department – are being implemented to address both financial and operational efficiency challenges," spokesman Nathan Cross said in a statement.

"Needless to say, the decision was made for legitimate, nondiscriminatory business reasons. Students, parents and staff can be assured that Olney and Aspira have a plan in place, for the summer months and the 2017-2018 school year, to maintain the safe environment they have come to expect," Cross said.

Olney was a troubled district high school that the School Reform Commission turned over to Aspira to operate as a charter school in 2010.

Aspira is a nonprofit that focuses on Latino youth and education. In addition to Olney, it operates three other charter schools in the district and the statewide Aspira Bilingual Cyber Charter School.

Alvarez and Thomas said they were involved in efforts to organize as an affiliate of AFT Pennsylvania,  the parent group of the union that represents Olney's teachers and professional staff.

After a struggle of several years,  Olney teachers voted two years ago to affiliate with the Alliance of Charter School Employees, Local 6056, a part of AFT Pennsylvania. The first contract was approved last month.

“We have not had a raise in three years,” said Thomas, who said they were paid $13 per hour. “I had no idea layoffs were coming. None at all.”