UNC employees to ‘sit out’ in protest

Disgruntled by the upcoming elimination of the compressed schedule option, some employees will ‘sit out’ from work April 7 to protest outside South Building.

The option allows employees to work four 10-hour days each week rather than five 8-hour days. Employees said the compressed schedule cuts weekly commute expenses and, in some cases, allows for a second job, making its elimination a source of contention.

“That is absolutely something that people are trying to put together so somebody hears us,” said Chuck Grant, a building services employee who works in masonry.

“At some point, somebody’s got to stand up.”

Grant said he fails to understand the reasoning behind the decision to cut the compressed schedule, as workers are keeping up with service levels.

Van Dobson, executive director for facilities services and chief facilities officer, said the protesting workers will most likely go unpunished for taking the day off to protest, though supervisors will deal with any unexcused absences. “When people exercise their freedom of speech, I would be very opposed to retaliation on our part,” he said. “That’s not the way we want to do business.”

Dobson said the change comes in response to an upcoming 5 percent budget cut. He said the five-day work week will improve efficiency by ensuring skilled workers are always available when needed.

But Grant said working longer days has paid off for the masonry department. “Those guys go home and I go finish the concrete,” he said. “I’ve been in business 25 years and in this shop it definitely works. It definitely saves money.”

Grant added that a series of meetings held by Dobson and Edd Lovette, director of building services, did not adequately consider workers’ thoughts.

“Decisions were already made and we are going into the discussion with no voice,” he said. “We want a voice.”

Dobson said facilities services will examine employee suggestions. Employees have suggested implementing different opening and closing hours for different shops, and he said he is willing to work with them to address their concerns.

“Certainly all those things can be considered,” Dobson said.

Jackie Overton, chairwoman of the Employee Forum, said the option to work four 10-hour days began about three years ago when gas prices spiked.

But when the schedule change is implemented this summer, 70 building services employees will have to work five-day weeks, potentially placing a burden on workers who drive from outside Chapel Hill to work at the University.

She said saving a day of transportation costs is a boon for workers who haven’t had raises because of budget cuts.

“More than 80 percent of our workers can’t afford to live in Chapel Hill, so they live in outlying areas where they have to drive 20, 30, 40 minutes, an hour to get here,” Overton said.

“That’s a substantial gas bill. Not having to come one day a week makes sense in my mind as an employee.”

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