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Miami Little Haiti, Haitians concerned Over Possible Layoffs

University Says No Firm Decision Has Been Made To Cut Jobs

(CBS4) LITTLE HAITI Many in the Haitian community gathered Saturday to host a community meeting with Haitian leaders to call attention to what they believe is a plight for more than 340 janitors, landscapers and maintenance workers who care for Nova Southeastern University.

Organizers of the event said religious leaders, politicians, workers and their families were scheduled to attend in an effort to launch a Families in Crisis Response Program to meet the needs of the workers who allegedly may lose their jobs at Nova.

CBS4'sDave Malkoffreported that many of the protesters were worried about their jobs and their benefits should these jobs be done away with. Malkoff spoke with a representative from Nova who told CBS4 that this was just a business idea and it's too early to tell whether they will indeed cut the over 300 jobs.

On October 12, Haitian and African-American community leaders showed their outrage at news that over 340 newly organized workers at Nova Southeastern University may lose their jobs. Political and community leaders including candidate for State House of Representatives Ronald Brise, Representative Elect Joe Gibbons, and Viter Juste, "The Father of Little Haiti," call for an emergency meeting to defend Haitian working families.

These mostly Haitian and Latino workers may soon lose their jobs because Nova has said it will re-bid its cleaning contract and may not permit the new contractor to hire the current workforce.

Elected Officials, Clergy, Community leaders, Nova workers, and SEIU, the union that represents these workers, have all communicated to Nova the threat to community health and stability that such layoffs would have on the minority and low-wage communities from which many of the 350 workers reside.

The Nova representative also Malkoff that in the university's opinion, the workers do a great job in keeping up the appearance of the school and stressed again that this was simply a business consideration and no firm decision had been made.

The rally is scheduled to be held in the Little Haiti section of Miami.