UIC Building Service Worker Speaks Against Privatization at Board of Trustees Meeting

A group of UIC Building Service Workers attended the January 26 Board of Trustees meeting to support their coworker’s testimony about the impact of privatization on custodial staff and students.

Cermella Sanders, a building service worker with 21 years of experience, testified in front of the Board about her experiences with privatization.

 “We are doing two people’s jobs,” said Sanders. “I have eight more years until I retire. I want to finish my 30 years out at the university, but I don’t want to come to work stressed thinking that my job won’t be here in eight years.”

Building Service Workers, through their union Local 73, have been meeting with UIC management to discuss ways to address staffing issues without privatizing staff positions. UIC has resorted to outsourcing custodial positions to private companies in response to a large number of vacancies. BSWs have been raising awareness about the effects of privatization since last Fall and advocating for effective solutions that incentivize hiring, such as job security.

According to Local 73, outsourcing custodial positions to private companies threaten the cleanliness of the campus because they cut corners when providing services to maximize profits. Privatization lowers pay and weakens worker benefits. A clean and safe campus means supporting campus BSWs and providing livable wages, healthcare, job security, and retirement benefits.