Laid off Early Childhood Education Workers at MAAC Project ask for Community Support and Solidarity During this Holiday Season

The day before Thanksgiving, MAAC Project announced the elimination of eight union-represented positions in its Head Start program, including custodians, family service advocates and essential administrative staff. We are workers and union members who provide critical early education services across San Diego County.

During this hardship, the MAAC CEO, Arnulfo Manriquez, is out on a three-month paid sabbatical and is touring wine country around the world. This is being paid for on the back of frontline workers, which makes these cuts harder as we face the realities of what losing our jobs really means.

Michael Heading, an 8-year MAAC employee who serves as a Custodian at Del Dios Head Start in Escondido, shares that he “was responsible for more than just cleaning and organizing” and that the loss of his position will mean that tasks like essential health and safety checks will fall on other site staff. That will put “a larger load on their shoulders with an already hectic and limited time schedule” which will directly impact the children and families that we serve. The impacts of Michael’s layoff is one example, but each and every one of the seven other lost positions will be felt just as much.

As we approach our layoff date on New Years Eve, we risk losing healthcare and our regular source of income. Many of us already are struggling to pay for necessities, including rent and food, and this layoff will be devastating, especially at the holidays.

We are asking for our community’s support to help us this holiday season.

All funds will be disbursed to impacted workers following a request process.