St. Joe’s selected a new housekeeping provider, American Building Maintenance (ABM), ending their contract with The Arthur Jackson Company as of Feb. 1.
Arthur Jackson, the university’s provider for over three decades, contracted roughly 50 cleaners to St. Joe’s. Every worker was offered employment with ABM and decided to stay, according to Rose Weldon, a member of St. Joe’s cleaning staff since 2001 and 32BJ shop steward.
“Thus far, the change has been smooth,” Weldon said. “Everyone on the management team is willing to work with us and seems to be flexible.”
Ann Green, Ph.D., professor of English, said she received the announcement sent to faculty and staff on Jan. 30 and wondered whether members of the cleaning staff would maintain their employment at the university.
“Everyone who works here is important, and important to the overall student experience,” Green said. “A lot of people support faculty and student work, including the cleaning staff. St. Joe’s couldn’t happen without the service workers, so I just want to be sure that they’re treated respectfully and with justice.”
The university’s change in housekeeping provider follows an Oct. 10 on-campus rally held by the cleaning staff and their union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) local 32BJ, to advocate for a higher hourly wage.
Arthur Jackson employees contracted to other locations in Philadelphia earned roughly $18 an hour, while workers at St. Joe’s earned $15 an hour due to a “rider” in the contract between Arthur Jackson and the university.
Traci Benjamin, SEIU’s communications specialist for local 32BJ, said ABM is a signatory of the union’s master agreement, meaning the company will uphold everything in the workers’ former contracts.
“Members will be getting everything they fought for on the same schedule as before,” Benjamin wrote in an email to The Hawk.
According to Tim McGuriman, associate vice president for administrative services, the university issued a request for proposal (RFP) for housekeeping services last summer, which is a process that occurs when contracts approach their end date. The proposal resulted in St. Joe’s selection of ABM in December 2019.
“For this contract, facilities assembled an interdisciplinary team with experts from Procurement, Athletics, Facilities and Residence Life,” McGuriman wrote in an email to The Hawk. “All companies were evaluated on price, ability to meet the specifications, experience and success, and customized solutions.”
McGuriman said ABM’s housekeeping services will increase the level of service throughout campus, namely residence halls, classrooms and recreation and athletic centers, that will improve health and safety.
“Additional improvements include a GreenCare program that uses sustainable products, equipment and processes; innovative equipment like floor scrubbing robots, quick dry carpet cleaning; air quality improvement technology; surface disinfecting and high-performing restroom cleaning equipment,” McGuriman wrote in an email to The Hawk.
Green said the announcement of new cleaning services seemed “abrupt.”
“The announcement focused on the fact that the new contractor has scrubbing robots and is green,” Green said. “All good things, but what about the people? Are the people okay?”
According to Gail Benner, St. Joe’s director of PR and media, the university’s Just Employment Ad Hoc committee, which was established in 2018 to inform the university’s approach to living wage, has been meeting regularly and will propose policies to the University Council during an upcoming meeting.
Keith Brown, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology and co-chair of the committee said one of the stipulations in Just Employment Policy is job protection for workers on campus, which occurred in the case of the university’s new housekeeping vendor.
“When the contractor changes, the new contractor should do everything possible to retain current employees,” Brown said.
Brown said policies the committee hopes to implement are based on existing models, such as Georgetown University’s Just Employment Policy, and will focus on inclusivity within the campus community as well as a living wage.
According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, the living wage for one adult in Philadelphia County is $12.64. For one adult with one child, that wage is $25.36.
Brown said the committee found that every employee on campus is paid the living wage for one adult, including those employed by a contractor like ABM.
“We’re trying to put forth a model that includes a living wage for one adult and one child,” Brown said. “That’s a more difficult bar to reach, but that’s the core of what Just Employment is about, providing for a family.”
Jack McCaul ’21, member of Hawks for Just Employment, a student organization advocating for workers’ rights on campus, said each member of the cleaning staff should be “getting what they need.”
“The workers are really good people and they do a good job,” McCaul said. “It is good to know that the workers are protected under the union, so when switching from AJ to ABM, no one is going to lose their job.”
