The President of Oberlin College, in order to save perhaps $2 million per year, proposes to fire more than 100 dining services and custodial employees represented by the U.A.W. in order to hire outside vending services which "are better able to reach economies of scale based on their size and expertise." Translation: these services will pay lower wages with fewer benefits, so will cost less--since the unionized workers being fired no doubt enjoy better salaries and benefits. "It is our hope that many employees will be given the opportunity to interview for jobs with the newly selected vendors," reports the magnanimous President, without any irony. "Hope"? Surely Oberlin could make it a condition of a new contract with vendors, but they obviously won't.
Oberlin is hardly alone in making moves like this, it's a tried-and-true way of reducing labor costs at the expense of the lives of a hundred-or-so working class people. But in case someone might actually care about the lives of working-class people, the President assures us that "we have kept sacrosanct our commitment to financial aid to ensure diversity." Well, that's a relief. I bet that financial aid adds up to a couple of million dollars as well. But since diversity is more important than the ability of unnamed working-class people to live minimally decent lives, we can all rest easy knowing the college has its priorities straight.
ADDENDUM: Here's another benefit that the fired employees will lose: tuition benefits for their children (see pp. 5-6). But at least there is financial aid still for "diversity"! (Thanks to Paul Weithman for calling this to my attention.)
Recent Comments