Higher Education ESP --
Building a Quality Workforce

Challenges to Maintaining A Quality Workforce

Privatization Is not an Answer

Privatization creates a disconnected, non-resident group of workers who are usually poorly paid and not committed to the higher education campus or education community. It works against the campus education "team" and the ongoing work of building an ESP Quality Workforce. When work is awarded to the lowest bidder, everyone loses! We all know that "you get what you pay for."

Administrations and boards of trustees often threaten privatization to achieve certain bargaining and public relations goals, to claim falsely that they have cut costs, or simply to union-bust. In this respect, there is very little difference between higher education institutions and K-12 school districts. Often the board of trustees knows very little about the essential work that Higher Ed ESP do and therefore believe erroneously that "warm bodies" are all that is really needed. The results of this short-sightedness can be exemplified by the situation that occurred when the Bookstore at the University of Massachusetts was privatized, despite a gallant fight by ESP. Before the privateers arrived, the Bookstore operation had been a "cash cow" for the University. When privatized, problem after problem arose, and in fact it was not open and running when the campus opened for the fall sessions. Needless to say, the "cash cow" is now hamburger!

Food Services and Transportation Services Higher Ed ESP are often the first to be privatized on campus. At many colleges and universities, these services have been contracted out for years, causing many continuing difficulties. The most insidious problem when one area has been privatized for some time is that the threat to privatize other ESP groups on campus becomes louder and more aggressive.

A valiant and hard fought campaign was waged against the administration regarding the Bookstore at UMass, but it was lost quickly because the food services had been privatized 10 years earlier and was used as an example of "successful privatization."

A realistic assessment of successful privatization is rarely made. What generally occurs is entrenchment. Once the privateer is established on the campus, virtually no one really evaluates the quality or savings of the job being done. Years often go by before it is discovered that in fact the privateer is costing more and the quality and delivery of service is much less than what was expected, promised, or contracted, and is certainly not what is needed.

In order to successfully fight privatization, Higher Ed ESP must actively educate their administrations, boards of trustees and communities regarding who they really are and what they really do. The cornerstones of any anti-privatization campaign are employee job descriptions. Job descriptions must be meaningful, comprehensive, current, and accurately reflect all the work done by Higher Ed ESP. With accurate and current job descriptions it is possible to reach out to the campus community and demonstrate that privatization would in fact be a cut in service. Real and meaningful definition of the work being done daily increases the chance that the administration will recognize the true value of all Higher Ed ESP and the jobs they do for the students, the institution, and the community.

Downsizing and Short-staffing

In an effort to cut costs, administrations often will downsize existing employees, or simply short-staff certain departments or combinations of departments. This type of budget control is counterproductive; it jeopardizes many systems and operations of the school campus. For example, when cuts are made in clerical services, the quality of information gathering and recordkeeping is reduced and privacy and confidentiality are at risk. Student financial services may suffer when the remaining staff must cover two or three other job functions.

Administrations often make up for short-staffing by using temps. The problems this creates for regular employees is obvious -- individuals are performing jobs for which they have no training or experience. Temps often create more work rather than less for the regular employees. In the University of Maine System, a Campus Listserv has been established by the ESP union, ACSUM/MEA/NEA, to track abuse of the temp policy by the administration.

When positions are left empty, departments are downsized, or temps are used to fill in the gaps, campus function, data, and security are at risk. Full staffing and properly scheduled Higher Ed ESP are the best basis for a successful higher education institution that effectively serves the students and surrounding community.

To next section: Health and Safety - Protecting the Individual Employee