University of Alberta outsourcing the last of its cleaning staff

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More than 60 custodial staff at the University of Alberta have been told their last day on the job is Oct. 8.

The university is laying off the employees and contracting out their jobs as a cost-saving measure after significant budget cuts from the provincial government. The association representing non-academic staff called the move a “slap in the face” to employees who kept people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jillian Pratt, president of the university’s Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA), said the university has been increasing its level of contracted custodial services since 2000 through voluntary severance or attrition but this is the first time staff have been laid off. She said the more than 60 employees who received notice Tuesday represent the last custodial staff who were university employees.

“These are the university’s lowest paid employees. They’re our most vulnerable employees. Many of them are women, new Canadians,” she said.

“And this is happening at a time that the government is giving billions of dollars to tax cuts and handouts to oil and gas. The effects on post secondary is that it’s coming out of the pockets of our lowest-paid employees, who are making around $20 an hour.”

NASA said it has been told the layoffs will save the university $400,000 in the first year and more than $2.6 million annually after that.

“This is a slap in the face to the group that has kept our campus safe and clean through a pandemic. Thank you so much for keeping us safe. Here’s your pink slip,” Pratt said.

In a statement to Postmedia Wednesday, Andrew Sharman, the university’s vice-president of facilities and operations said the university recently started the final phase of a custodial services outsourcing strategy, which has been underway since 2019 due to budget cuts. He said the university appreciates the work of all its custodial staff, especially during the pandemic.

“The university has a set policy and procedure to ensure that any proposal to outsource functions currently performed by university staff is carried out in a rigorous, transparent, consultative manner that ensures the university’s best interests are served,” he said.

The two sides disagree over whether the appropriate procedure was followed in this case. NASA says the university is supposed to provide it with a business plan outlining why it has chosen to outsource jobs. According to Pratt, the association was told no new business case was being presented since the outsourcing is no different than what has been done in the past.

In his statement, Sharman said the appropriate outsourcing processes were followed. The university did not respond to follow-up questions seeking more details. 

The move comes as the University of Alberta grouped 13 of its faculties into three new colleges effective July 1. School officials have said the change means significant savings in administrative costs but Pratt criticized officials for creating new dean positions.

Over the last 2 1/2 years the UCP government has cut the University of Alberta’s base operating grant by roughly 25 per cent or $170 million.

In a statement Thursday, Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said he is confident leaders at the university are making the best decisions for the university.

“We have to work together to address our province’s current fiscal reality and I know that the University of Alberta is working hard to find ways to restructure their operations and deliver high quality programs and services that are sustainable into the future,” he said.