University of Arkansas Staff Senate offers support to custodial workers considered to be outsourced

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The University of Arkansas passed a resolution on March 14 to declare its support of the custodial staff that the university is considering outsourcing.

“Aware of the potential adverse effects of outsourcing on our community, we acknowledge the dedication and expertise of these employees, whose work underpins the very essence of our campus life,” the resolution states.

The resolution says outsourcing the employees could lead to job losses, reduced wages, and diminished benefits which the Staff Senate claims directly contradicts the University’s “Employer of Choice” campaign.

The Staff Senate says in the resolution that it is concerned that outsourcing current state employees to a private company will jeopardize employees’ eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program which is offered to United States federal, state, local or tribal government or qualifying not-for-profit organizations.

The resolution says that the primary objective is for all jobs under consideration for outsourcing to remain under direct employment of the university, requiring it to focus on the retention of employees and consider all other options before outsourcing.

According to the resolution, if retention is not feasible, the Staff Senate recommends employees be able to choose whether to stay with the university or work for the new company upon departure or retirement.

If it is impossible to retain all jobs within the university, the Staff Senate advocates for a Request for Proposal process to identify the most qualified vendor.

If a Request for Proposal process is used, competitive compensation and university support for employees should be integrated as contractual stipulations with the chosen vendor.

The resolution says the selected vendor should provide a wage and benefits package that meets or exceeds the package including essential compensation offered by the University of Arkansas at the time of outsourcing for the duration of their employment.

According to the resolution, as part of the RFP process, the university should also provide:

• Continuation of the current reduced-price tuition waiver for employees or their dependents.
• Provision of early retirement options for eligible staff.
• Access to mental health support during the transition.
• Distribution of generous severance packages to those who qualify.

A protest was held on March 16 in response to the university’s decision to outsource its custodial staff.

The event was held by Local 965 where protestors marched to the administration building.

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