When Hurricane Isabel hit, classes were cancelled and most faculty and staff stayed at home with one exception - "essential employees" - which include our Aramark custodial workers. Unfortunately, the AU community often overlooks those workers we cannot do without. The majority of them have worked at AU for many years.
Despite the service and dedication these workers have given the AU community, they are not earning enough to make ends meet in the notoriously pricey greater D.C. metro area. A number of our mostly female custodial workforce earn as little as $9.65 per hour, which after taxes and deductions can amount to a mere $14,000 per year. Our janitors are the lowest paid in comparison to other universities in the area, such as George Washington, Gallaudet and Howard, where janitors average between $12-13 per hour.
President Ladner made it clear in his 15 Point Plan that the University will increasingly outsource services, as with the current custodial service contract with Aramark. However, outsourcing should not be used as a way for the AU community to shun responsibility for our essential workers. Last year, President Ladner appointed a living wage committee of faculty, students and staff to look into the ability of our direct and contracted workers to afford the basic necessities of life on the wages they earn. The committee recommended that workers need to earn at least $12.58, plus benefits to just get by. But the administration chose to ignore this recommendation and pass a "wage policy" that would bring all workers to $11 an hour by 2005. As of July 1, 2003, the policy stipulates that all contracted workers should earn at least $10.31 per hour. Aramark workers are not even at this inadequate level of pay.
The custodial workers' collective bargaining agreement is currently up and SEIU Local 82, known for its highly successful Justice for Janitors campaigns, is in contract negotiations with Aramark. Although talks are still underway, Aramark has indicated that they would like to keep current pay levels while passing off a 64% increase in healthcare costs to the workers. About half of the workers have no health care because the plan is already too expensive for them. Aramark is not keeping with the letter and spirit of the wage policy. It is time for the AU community to take notice of our custodial workers and take a stand in support of justice for our janitors. Students, faculty and staff need to support the workers in their contract negotiations and demand that they receive adequate pay, health care and a pension plan. How can we demand exception service from our "essential employees" if we are not even willing to ensure that they earn enough to cover their and their families' basic needs?
