New Stanford subcontractor threatens union jobs, employees say

For the previous 17 years, Esperanza Gutierrez has labored as a janitor at Stanford Redwood Metropolis. Maria Almanza’s ten-year anniversary is because of are available Could. However each Gutierrez and Almanza–and 20 different janitors who’ve been contracted to Stanford for a few years–say their jobs are actually in danger.

In late March, Stanford determined to change from UG2—a upkeep service firm utilized by the College to subcontract employees—to a brand new custodial supplier, Service by Medallion, at its Redwood Metropolis campus. 

This shift is scheduled to happen this Friday, April 14—a change that the union claims will violate the present union grasp contract and will affect the employment of 25 UG2 janitorial employees in Redwood Metropolis, with potential implications to all 7,000 union members.

On Wednesday, a dozen Stanford college students drove to Redwood Metropolis at midday to point out help for the employees advocating for his or her employment. College students and round ten employees who have been on lunch break on the time additionally sought to current Govt Director of Operations Laura Di Mario with a petition which acquired over 500 signatures from Stanford associates in 24 hours. The petition demanded that “Stanford honor its contract” by not switching to Medallion and never requiring employees to undergo the “rehiring” course of.

Instantly upon getting into Academy Corridor, college students and employees have been requested to depart the premises and have been escorted out by Safety and Entry Coordinator Terri Flamer and a safety officer from Allied Common.

Eréndida Cerrillo, a foyer ambassador in Academy Corridor, mentioned that college students couldn’t display or be current within the constructing as a result of she mentioned she felt “uncomfortable” with the variety of college students current and referenced a “demonstration” from Tuesday on the Redwood Metropolis campus. Cerrillo mentioned that Redwood Metropolis was a “closed circuit campus.”

College spokesperson Luisa Rapport wrote that “[v]isitors, together with college students, are welcome at Stanford Redwood Metropolis,” and a sign-in course of is required in any respect buildings. 

Stanford College students for Staff’ Rights (SWR), a pupil group that helped lead the Wednesday occasions, wrote in a press release to The Day by day that the “sign-in course of… was not offered to [them]” regardless of their request to sign up and “have interaction in a constructive dialog.” They mentioned {that a} clear rationalization was not offered as to why they weren’t allowed to be contained in the constructing. 

“We’re disenchanted that even if we have been respectful, asking solely to talk with an administrator, and barring that, go away a letter explaining our request, we have been met with hostility and a scarcity of transparency,” SWR wrote in regards to the encounter.

25 minutes from Stanford’s most important campus, Stanford Redwood Metropolis is a 35-acre campus the place roughly 2,700 Stanford workers members work in departments together with the Faculty of Drugs, Residential & Eating Enterprises, and Stanford College Libraries. 

At each its most important campus and its Redwood Metropolis campus, Stanford’s service employees, together with those that work in eating halls or clear tutorial buildings, are employed both immediately by the College or are contracted by UG2. UG2 subcontracted employees are represented by United Service Staff West (USWW), a division within the Service Workers Worldwide Union (SEIU). 

In response to USWW, Medallion will deal with UG2 employees as “new staff” in its onboarding course of, requiring persevering with staff to endure E-Confirm procedures, which is usually reserved for brand spanking new hires. E-Confirm is a authorities web-based system to test staff’ citizenship standing, which USWW claims “locations an undue burden on immigrant employees no matter their standing,” and “creates a hostile surroundings… towards Stanford’s core values.”

USWW claims that treating UG2 employees as “new staff” is a violation of the grasp contract: the 2020-2024 Northern California Upkeep Contractors Settlement.

In response to the grasp contract, “the service document of staff retained by the Employer shall not be damaged by purpose of such change in Employer. Trip and sick go away seniority dates shall be honored from the prior Employer.” The grasp contract established that staff such because the UG2 employees must be stored and handled as “persevering with” staff.

The College wrote in an electronic mail to The Day by day that Medallion will provide UG2 staff on the Redwood Metropolis campus “continued employment at their present salaries.” In addition they famous that Stanford has no function within the contract between Medallion and the union or the onboarding course of.  

“Medallion and the union that represents custodial employees are at present in dialogue,” Rapport wrote. “We’re hopeful that any transition points will be resolved promptly and amicably.”

Rapport didn’t affirm if the staff would keep their present advantages as a continued worker, together with seniority.

USWW organizer Will Falvey mentioned Stanford gave the union a 30-day discover in regards to the subcontractor change. He mentioned this discover was too brief as a result of it’s a resolution that may affect when and the place janitors work. He described negotiating with Medallion and Stanford as a “hectic, troublesome course of.”

In response to USWW’s allegations that Medallion’s remedy of employees in the course of the transition from UG2 won’t respect the union contract, Medallion consultant Luis Camacho mentioned that any staff with points ought to name their HR division.

“We should always respect that union contract,” Camacho mentioned. “I don’t know why [an] worker advised you that. I’m fairly positive they may respect any union contract, for positive.”

Rapport wrote that “UG2 has accommodated custodial workers that requested to be retained by them.” 

Nevertheless, SWR wrote in a press release that it’s “unfair” to name the staff “accommodated” by UG2: “Workers acknowledged that they solely acquired presents with night time shift scheduling or at hours that have been unattainable for them due to family and household duties. UG2 solely offered staff with the provide to switch into inconvenient schedules that aren’t applicable, particularly provided that many have seniority as daytime custodial workers.”

In response to an internet job search itemizing from April 6, Medallion is at present “urgently hiring” janitors in Redwood Metropolis. 

Ashwin Prabu ’25, a member of SWR who attended the direct motion, mentioned that the College’s “abrupt resolution” left the staff’ job safety “fully jeopardized.”

“Some folks on this campus are handled as disposable for the advantage of the people who find themselves benefiting from this campus, like college students, like the college, just like the researchers,” Prabu mentioned. “Individuals want to consider who is definitely making Stanford run and the way they’re being handled.”

Rapport mentioned that the College “enormously admire[s] the work of the custodians who work on our campuses.”

SWR member Danny Sallis ’25 mentioned that he believes college students have sturdy leverage energy with the College, and that extra college students ought to present their help for employees.

“College students are usually in a greater place with the College as a result of we are able to’t be fired,” Sallis mentioned. “I suppose we do should watch out generally, however there’s probably not as a lot of a concern of retaliation. We’re extra free to make use of our voices or protest or make a petition, and it’s often simpler for us to not fear about any penalties.”

SWR acknowledged of their assertion that whereas Stanford isn’t immediately concerned in most of the negotiations between the union and the subcontractors, the College “has an obligation” to the long-time janitors and does have accountability in selecting who to do enterprise with. 

This isn’t the primary time that janitors engaged on Stanford’s campus have turned to collective bargaining. Final Could, College janitorial employees contracted by UG2 entered into negotiation conferences with UG2, calling for a $2 enhance in hourly wages every year over the following three years, a rise in trip days and hazard pay for work in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The truth that this retains taking place again and again, isn’t a coincidence. That sooner or later, it’s as much as Stanford to truly step in and ideally cease subcontracting and simply immediately rent employees,” Sallis mentioned. “But when they’re not going to try this, a minimum of simply be sure that subcontractors are appearing ethically and appearing legally.”