About 35 campus workers, students and community members met in the Haslam College of Business building Monday afternoon to share information and further organize the movement against Gov. Bill Haslam’s privatization plan.
Ben Bergman and Sawyer Smith, UT students and members of the Roosevelt Institute, gave a brief presentation that summarized the perceived consequences of Haslam’s proposal to outsource campus jobs to private corporations.
“When Governor Haslam and his administration went to these huge companies and said we can offer you a 10 year $4.5 to $5 billion contract if you can save us money across the state and on UT’s campus, obviously they said of course,” Bergman said. “But what the state realized after they went through with that was that these companies couldn’t actually save as much money as the current Facilities Services offices are now. So they had to go back and reassess what Facilities Services really meant so that they could find those extra savings.”
Bergman went on to explain that because the Facilities Services office is already as streamlined and efficient as possible, the $12 million the proposal claims to save would have to come from program cuts.
The Neyland Stadium turf management team, sustainability and recycling programs, the team who sets up and cleans after events in Thompson-Boling, the Special Team to Assist Research and the UT call center would all be eliminated, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning would only be guaranteed at locations that the state deems critical, Bergman said.
Bergman and Smith cited a United Campus Workers memo and an interview with Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Services Dave Irvin, in which he set himself apart from the administration by saying Haslam’s privatization plan would be a “disaster” for the university.
After the presentation, United Campus Workers organizer Cassie Watters opened the floor up for campus workers, students and community members to speak out against privatization and outsourcing.
Tom Anderson, a central supply buyer in Facilities Services, expressed his support for Dave Irvin and called for unity during a challenging time.
“I want everybody to know that we’re all in this together. We are standing on that ledge with Dave Irvin, and we’re going to fight with him to the end,” Anderson said. “This is not just about my job or my family or all of my coworkers’ families, it’s about all of us together.”
Tami Schultz, a member of the custodial staff, also thanked Dave Irwin and said that she depends on the benefits she receives from working at the university.
“I know I myself, I need the insurance here. I take care of my mother. She has dementia… If I don’t have that insurance, I’m not going to be able to take care of her. And then I don’t know what would happen,” Schultz said.
Ed McDaniel, a locksmith at UT, spoke next and argued the value of campus workers as people that truly care about the university.
“We are people; we’re not throw-away people. If there’s something wrong that they’re losing money on … Let’s fix it here. Let’s not throw us away,” McDaniel said. “Let’s not bring in another company. If you’re saying that we’re failing, then apparently the governor and his cronies are failing.”
Jordan Welsh, senior in history, attends the UT Outsourcing Protest at the Haslam Business Building on Monday.
