The University administration will exclude subcontracted workers from a committee that will advise University labor policy, in a decision that drew criticism from student groups.
Members of the Georgetown Solidarity Committee engaged in a series of protests outside Healy Hall Wednesday to contest the administration’s decision, which it says violated a previously ratified document.
Dressed in black with dollar bills taped over their mouths, the protesters stood silently holding signs declaring, “Georgetown workers are part of the community” and “Living wage now!” The protests, each lasting 15 minutes, occurred every hour from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 in the afternoon.
“Protests are going to continue until the University agrees to put a subcontracted worker on the committee,” GSC member Mike Wilson (CAS ‘05) said.
The Advisory Committee on Business Ethics was founded last spring in a coordinated effort between the GSC and University officials to address the issue of workers’ wages on campus. The Committee’s constitution calls for the inclusion of three students, three faculty members and three staff workers in the group. According to the constitution, “to the extent legally and practically feasible,” at least one of these workers should be a subcontracted employee.
With the support of the GSC, workers from P&R Enterprise-a company that subcontracts approximately 50 to 75 employees to the University-chose a representative to serve on the Committee.
When the roster of Committee members was publicized earlier this semester, no subcontracted workers were included on the list. GSC members were told that the Committee was full.
“I think it’s very suspicious that of all the people written into the board in the Constitution, this is the one person left off,” GSC member Mary Nagle (CAS ‘05) said.
The administration did not comment on not including a subcontracted worker from joining the board.
The three spots reserved for workers were all filled by direct employees of Georgetown University, two from Housing and Facilities Management and one from Law Center Financial Affairs.
According to Wilson, when GSC members confronted Senior Vice President and Administrative Officer Spiros Dimolitsas and asked for an explanation Tuesday, they were told that subcontracted workers are “not a part of the Georgetown Community,” and therefore should not be privy to the confidential financial information the Committee would discuss.
According to GSC, it was Dimolitsas’ comments that sparked the protests Wednesday. Dimolitsas could not be reached for comment.
“GSC members are entitled to express their views and the University encourages dialogue on issues that are important to students,” Director of University Media Relations Laura Cavender said.
The subject of workers’ wages is an ongoing and contentious issue at Georgetown. In 2003, a “Contractor Wages” committee composed of students and faculty met several times to discuss the issue, but according to committee member and Georgetown Economics Professor Susan Vroman, they reached no conclusions.
Part of the difficulty, she said, arose from the fact that every subcontracting agency used by the University treats its workers differently when it comes to wages and benefits.
Vroman was quick to point out that she thinks the University does a good job taking care of its own employees. But she added that the school should be equally accountable to all the workers it subcontracts.
“It’s a reasonable thing to be looking into,” she said.
A P&R employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that as a subcontracted worker he receives no health benefits and low wages.
“The salary isn’t sufficient because it’s expensive to live here,” he said.
Earlier this month, the University pledged to raise the wages of all contracted and subcontracted employees to at least $8.50 an hour and provide them with health care benefits by December.
The GSC, however, would like to see more drastic changes in wages and benefits for all workers. According to Nagle, having a subcontracted worker sit on the Committee is a crucial step toward achieving this goal.
