Families Juggle Long Hours, Low Wages

From early evening until well after midnight, Diane Hudson scrubs and vacuums away the dirt, dust and mess of a school day. She never doubts the importance of her work. All parents want clean classrooms, hallways and bathrooms for their children.

The job doesn’t seem any easier than the manufacturing position she had years ago, especially now that her knees throb and ache from arthritis. By another measure, there’s no comparison.