Employees try to 'Save Our Jobs'

A rally against the Trammell Crow outsourcing deal drew about 200. Trustees vote on the deal today. Invoking the words of the Bible and Benjamin Franklin, nearly 200 employees, faculty and students jammed College Green yesterday to rally against the possibility of outsourcing University facilities management to Trammell Crow Co. Protesters at the "Save Our Jobs" rally hoped to send a message to University Trustees, who will vote today on whether to finalize the deal that would force 180 current University employees to re-apply for between 110 and 150 jobs with Trammell Crow. The letter of intent signed by the University and the Dallas-based company nearly a month ago calls for Trammell Crow to pay Penn $26 million, some of which would be used toward implementation costs of the college house residential system slated to begin next fall. Unionized residential and facility workers will retain their jobs under Trammell Crow management, according to the terms of the agreement, but the union's contract expires in less than three years, and that situation could change. Residential Services Service Assistant Rashida Abdu, one of the rally's organizers, said yesterday's protest went well, although she was admitted that she had hoped for better turnout. "It's good what we got at the rally, and its important what we got and we need more," she said. "But people are scared and we won't get more people until this starts to touch them also." The University is considering several other departments for outsourcing, including Dining Services. As protesters on College Green held signs bearing Benjamin Franklin's motto, "We must all hang together or we will surely hang separately," speakers expressed their belief that these job losses are only the beginning. Tom Henry, tri-chairperson of the African-American Assembly, warned employees who have not shown support for those directly affected by the Trammell Crow deal that their jobs may not be secure, either. "Those individuals who decided not to come out here today because it is not your turn, you should be aware it will be your turn," Henry said. Other speakers criticized the administration for running Penn like a corporation rather than a school. The University is setting a terrible example for its students by abusing workers in the name of serving students more efficiently, said librarian Jim Gray, a tri-chairperson of the AAA and treasurer of Local 590 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. "A multi-million dollar hotel, a building up of a restaurant for private owners, luxury shops built on the backs of fired workers: Is that the responsibility of a University?" Gray asked. The Rev. Beverly Dale, executive director of the Christian Association, said the University's actions are evidence of a "dysfunction" in what used to be a close University family. "How did we get to the place where we can dismiss a person and not see the face of that person -- who by the way looks a lot like us -- and their family?" she said. Abda echoed Dale's concern for the future livelihood of the affected employees and their families, noting the irony that during the rally, the Trustees were scheduled to hear a professor in the School of Social Work lecture about the problems of homelessness. She added that employees are sick of the University "posturing" about how much it does to aid the West Philadelphia community at the same time that it is firing members of that same community. Some affected employees expressed anger that they were never given a chance to understand the problems facing their departments or try to improve performance. Richard Cipollone, director of support system controls for Physical Plant, said his department succeeded in cutting costs as was suggested in a study done by the consulting firm of Coopers & Lybrand, but their efforts to improve were ignored. "In any department, there are shortcomings, but we are supposed to come up with a plan to improve," Henry said. "Do you think Mr. John Fry has come up with perfect solutions? They've had to restrategize many times. Why can't we have the same chance?" he said.

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