Custodial
Shortage Offers No Clean Solution
by Tobias Smith
With
the College in the midst of a hiring freeze, the people most affected
may be those that most often go unnoticed, the custodians. Of the
58 positions in existence before the freeze, only 52 are now filled,
and that understaffing, compounded by a steady number of custodians
on sick leave, has intensified pressure on all custodial staff members.
According to College policy, sick leave guarantees job security
for up to one year. To compensate for these vacancies, as well as
the six positions the College is leaving unfilled, custodians are
being asked to clean increasingly large areas and to focus only
on those parts of buildings that could be health hazards, such as
bathrooms.
The custodial staff has risen to the challenge to maintain
the standards that students deserve, Assistant Director of
ResLife/Facilities Keith Watkins said.
Many custodians, however, maintain that they cannot uphold such
standards as long as they are stretched so thin. Some custodians
report being told by management that as long as the bathrooms get
clean, everything else can slide.
While the custodial staff is employed by the College, facilities
management is privately contracted by the school, in much the same
way that campus dining is managed by Bon Appetit. The facilities
contract is with a corporation called Aramark Service Master, a
group that manages everything from food services to prisons. Aramark
bought out FRM (Facilities Resource Management), who had won the
original contract in July 1998.
Some employees blame The Firm (a euphemism for FRM,
now applied to Aramark) for what they see as unreasonable workloads.
I would like to see more humanity. The people who work here,
they love their job. Its not our managers, its their managers
[Aramark], Bibbins Hall Custodian Scott Smith said.
Every custodian interviewed for this article expressed a serious
sense of pride in her or his job, and generally spoke well about
employment at Oberlin. However, many criticized the Colleges
policy of understaffing, as well as of the practice of employing
floaters, or custodians who work different buildings
every day, instead of a regular routine. They expressed concern
that using floaters undermines each custodians sense of commitment,
because floaters cannot focus on the same building every day, which
is necessary if a custodian is to care about a buildings cleanliness.
Also, many custodians feel that, with so many employees absent or
on sick leave, the College should consider taking on more part-time
custodians.
It would be nice if they would hire a few subs. It would tremendously
cut down on the physical burden that we have. That [hiring subs]
was the system when I came. Janet Williams, a custodian in
South Hall, said.
Unfortunately, at a time when custodians seem to have specific and
reasonable grievances, the same climate makes many concerned about
job security. Of the seven custodians interviewed for this article,
only two were willing to speak on the record. Even though custodians
are a part of United Auto Workers union, many are still worried
about being reprimanded for their views.
Students, who mobilized quite actively during labor negotiations
earlier this year, have been silent about this issue.
As long as students dont say anything, theyre
going to keep going with [the understaffing], one custodial
worker, who asked to remain anonymous, said.
Others feel that custodial concerns are also student concerns. Students
should be concerned about custodial workers for many reasons. Firstly,
our tuitions pay their salaries. Oberlin students tuitions
should provide faculty and staff with secure carriers in order to
ensure quality service. Workers who are well paid and well protected
work better and have a vested interest in the school, Senior
and Student Labor Action Coalition member Aram Donabedian said.
The College says that by not hiring new employees they are protecting
custodial jobs. Anything we can do to save people at this
institution, thats what we are going to do, Vice President
of College Relations Al Moran said.
Moran cites institutions such as Wooster College, where dozens of
employees were laid off for financial reasons. Oberlin is firmly
against laying of workers and therefore hesitating to create new
positions. Instead, Moran says, the College is experimenting with
innovations such as one year internships; positions can be reevaluated
annually, under the full understanding that such employment is temporary.
The College does plan to fill some positions, however. Its
really not a hiring freeze. There is a review process
of all vacant positions. Some positions are being filled, based
on critical need, Moran said.
Such critical need positions include a new director
of admissions, controller, head basketball coach and major gifts
officer.
Custodians are not the only staff feeling the freeze. The secretarial
staff has voiced concerns and the College printing services is short
staffed, forcing it to restrict its hours. With this years
debt looming large, it seems understandable that some sacrifices
must be made. However, what many custodians wonder is why cuts always
fall on the maintenance staff.
Sometimes they say thats the way it is at the bottom
of the ladder, but I believe being at the bottom of the ladder doesnt
mean you should be penalized, Smith said.
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