UB shifting back to unionized custodians
Source: By HENRY L. DAVIS, Buffalo News (NY), 4/1/2006
The University at Buffalo plans to stop outsourcing its custodial work to private companies and return to using unionized employees, school officials said Friday. …. "The problem is the wages," said Michael F. Dupre, associate vice president for university facilities. He said the established minimum prevailing wage for maintenance personnel in the Buffalo area is only $7.03 an hour, which is not high enough to maintain a stable work force. Today, four private firms provide about 135 custodial workers compared to the 70 or so employees still represented by the Civil Services Employees Association Local 602.