University of Kentucky workers, labor leaders and some local politicians marched through campus late Monday to campaign against plans to outsource campus jobs.
Last year, UK began a search for a private company that would manage its facilities jobs under a 30-year contract.
A university spokesperson previously said the change is a response to tightening budgets, and a way to boost efficiency. The school says they would retain their current workforce, and their pay and benefits would not be impacted.
But groups like the United Campus Workers characterized the process as “layoffs in slow motion.” UCW organizer Dan Moon argued new hires would not get the same perks they would under UK, and would eventually be expected to do more work.
“People will be working alongside each other, doing the same work, but only one of them will be able to afford to see the specialists they need at UK Hospital just because they were hired before the person next to them,” Moon said.
Others, like UK grounds crew supervisor Joshua Borgemenke, said they were concerned the change would impact the campus community.
“We feel as if we are part of the community because of these benefits, because of the individuals we interact with during the day, because we have access to professors for free education. So all of these things, a loss of these, would disconnect us from the greater community that is the university,” he said.
UCW held the protest alongside the Service Employees International Union, which represents the university’s dining workers. Members of local Lexington labor unions like United Auto Workers and the American Federation of Teachers were also in attendance.
Local organizers spoke at the rally asking UK to reverse course, alongside Kentucky AFL-CIO President Dustin Reinstedler and U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker, a Democrat.
Worker groups have also spoken against a separate plan to move workers in IT, marketing and communications to UK's nonprofit holding company, Beyond Blue LLC. Gov. Andy Beshear criticized the move during his regular media briefing last week.
