Trammel Crow makes job offers to Penn workers

At least 70 percent of the employees who applied were assured of jobs at Trammel Crow. Two months of anticipation and job insecurity ended for 147 University employees Saturday when they opened overnight packages containing either a job offer or a rejection letter from Trammell Crow Co. An October 8 agreement between Trammell Crow -- which will begin managing most University-owned buildings April 1 -- and the University required that at least 70 percent of the 147 employees who interviewed for positions receive job offers. Penn Executive Vice President John Fry and Trammell Crow officials were unavailable for comment on exactly how many employees received job offers from the real estate services company, the country's largest commercial-property manager. In addition to the employees offered jobs with Trammell Crow, a "small organization" of facilities workers will remain employed by the University, Fry told employees last week. He estimated that between 12 and 15 employees will serve in the division, in addition to two staff assistants and administrative support positions. Letters were sent to employees Friday afternoon via overnight mail from Trammell Crow's Dallas headquarters, according to the company's vice president for human resources, Hazel Lockett. All employees affected by the outsourcing will lose their positions with the University March 31. Employees have until Friday to accept or decline Trammell Crow's offers. Those employees who did not receive positions with Trammell Crow received "standard" letters terminating their jobs effective March 31, according to Lisa Prasad, executive director of the Penn's Office of the Executive Vice President. Those who did not receive a job with Trammell Crow will be offered job counseling and severance packages, Prasad said. University human resources representatives will meet individually with staff members who either did not receive offers or decided not to interview with Trammell Crow in order to offer them job counseling. The company conducted on-campus interviews for current employees from November 10 to November 24. Although employees received their individual notices Saturday, some continue to speculate about the fate of their co-workers. Employees will find out today which of their colleagues received offers from the company -- a scenario that will likely be "very, very awkward" for all employees, Physical Plant Director Lisa Karnincic said. Even assurances of job stability did not completely appease some employees. Receiving an employment offer from Trammell Crow did not make Karnincic's day, she said. When she begins to work for Trammell Crow, she will consider herself working for "just another company." "I was excited to work for Penn -- and I certainly liked the Penn benefits better," she said. "Now it'll just be any other job." Employee benefits under Trammell Crow have been a point of contention throughout the two-month-long debate over the deal. Employees' spouses will lose tuition benefits after next spring. Children's benefits will be extended indefinitely -- past the 2001 cutoff date set when the deal was announced -- at a cost of $4 to $5 million to the University. Also, the University and Trammell Crow will increase hired employees' base salaries to make up for any difference in medical and dental benefits after the transition. Systems Control Superintendent Richard Cipollone was one of the unspecified number of employees not offered a position. Cipollone and several other employees, including Karnincic, filed a lawsuit in late October against Trammell Crow and the University. The suit alleges that the University entered into the deal with Trammell Crow to avoid paying benefits to workers -- a violation of federal law. Cipollone said he probably did not receive a position because of his involvement in the lawsuit, adding that he may sue both the University and Trammell Crow. He would not elaborate on the possible legal action. The entire job application process struck Cipollone as "a joke." "I'm pissed," he said. "I was qualified for a position. Who can be more qualified to do your job than you?" Cipollone said he applied for six positions -- all with titles different from his current one -- because he was not sure which one most closely resembled his current post. The reorganization process required changes in some job descriptions as Trammell Crow combines the University's Division of Facilities Management with University City Associates, Penn's for-profit real estate arm.

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