‘Who will take care of the kids?’

UFT President Michael Mulgrew speaks to the thousands of union and community members who came to protest budget cuts and stand up for the vital services that help the city run.

There were many reasons for city workers to be angry on June 16 as they rallied at City Hall to “Save Our City” from devastating budget cuts, but for classroom teachers perhaps the biggest fear was of being “excessed” — as in being placed on the Absent Teacher Reserve list.

Teacher Gina Santana from PS/IS 138 in Queens got word the day before the rally that she was being excessed, and two of her colleagues got the same bad news the previous week.

Geraldine White, a paraprofessional at PS 108 in the Bronx, captured the spirit of the day.

“Who will take care of the kids?” she asked.

Scores of city public-sector unions and community organizations were represented at the rally. Sanitation worker Peter Puleo said, “Workers should not be blamed for the economic downfall of the economy. The money to balance the budget should be taken from corporate America — they are the ones who caused this.”

At the rally were workers from a social service program called Relationship Abuse Prevention Program, which serves 62 New York City high schools and works to prevent domestic violence. Zoe Braginsky of the program said “we save lives,” and is worried that students who work in the program will not have jobs this summer.

Cecil Robinson, a member of Local 1180 of the Communications Workers of America, said budget cuts will affect “every single person” who lives in the city.

“Except the bankers,” he added.

Helen Wu, a parent whose children go to PS 124 in Manhattan, said her son and daughter need “more programs, not less” in her school. A paraprofessional at the school, Dorota Gaweda, was concerned about paras being excessed. “Our students will suffer,” she said.

Judy Pereiro, a secretary at PS 89 in Manhattan, said there will be chaos on the first day of school if there are fewer school secretaries when school reopens in the fall.

One police official, who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the press, said the city “is playing with fire” if there are any cuts to the Police Department. “Response times will be down and our equipment and morale will suffer.” He feared that anti-terrorist initiatives might be cut.

From Staten Island, Leah Cetera, a teacher at The Petrides School, noted that the school has already lost a secretary and school aides “who perform necessary services.”

College students Liza and Ross Weinstein joined UFTers in standing against cuts to education.