Beginning September 6, U of T will cut more decent jobs in caretaking and contract out their work to for-profit cleaning companies in three more buildings on the St. George campus. This is in addition to the contracting out of cleaning at 18 other buildings on the St. George campus in August 2020.
U of T claims that this is because private, for-profit contractors will be performing COVID-related cleaning work in these buildings. CUPE 3261 members working as caretakers will be reassigned to other work, however roughly 18 directly employed positions with decent wages and benefits are being cut indefinitely.
Contracting out impacts safe return to campus
At a time when there is high anxiety about safe return to campus this September, U of T's decision to contract out cleaning does not provide confidence for our community members returning to in-person activities.
Research has shown that privatized delivery of cleaning services impacts quality and can endanger community safety. For-profit operators are not invested in the safety of the campus community in the same way as in-house staff serving our campus. In addition to having decent work, directly employed staff can assert their rights to get the training and equipment they need to ensure high quality disinfection and keep students, faculty, and other staff on campus safe.
Contracting out furthers racist inequality
Although the reduction in government funding to post-secondary education has created a funding crisis, poverty jobs targeting primarily racialized workers are not the solution.
U of T has not seen a drop in student enrolment during the pandemic. This is a resource allocation decision with inequitable consequences. Within U of T, where some people are paid salaries in the hundreds of thousands, it is unacceptable for cleaners to be forced into wage and benefit cuts. The decision to contract out caretaking increases internal inequity within U of T, and worsens inequality in Toronto:
- Good jobs at U of T cut and turned over to for-profit cleaning companies - creating a two-tier system for the same type of work.
- Cutting wages by roughly 30%
- Reduction in benefits such as paid sick leave, tuition benefits for dependents, child care benefits, pensions, and more.
- Deskilling and devaluing of in-house labour - including racialized workers who have given their lives to contribute to our campus community. This intensifies the racism of the labour market.
U of T can show leadership and practice its stated principles of excellence and equity by upholding good jobs for all workers, decent working conditions, and quality health and safety.