TO THE EDITOR:
Last week, faculty and staff were advised to vacate campus early on Oct. 17 for the Miami-UNC game. The disruption of normal campus business was frustrating and unfair to many, including first-shift housekeeping employees who were plainly told to quit work early and leave campus to make room for fan parking. They were told to code personal leave time for the missed work hours. Their forcibly vacated, paid-for parking spaces were resold to football fans.
How can the University force employees to use personal leave time at the University’s discretion when it should be used only at the employees’ discretion, with supervisor approval? How can it force them to vacate their parking spaces without compensating them for the use of those spaces?
Meanwhile, dozens of facilities workers were needed on game day to make sure that necessary operations were managed. They needed parking passes to get to their assigned duties that day, but only a few actually got one. Many were told to park off campus and find some way in.
These employees were taking care of the fans and students across the University from whom UNC pulled in cash through ticket sales, concessions, souvenirs, parking fees and even broadcasting rights — yet this is how they were treated?
It’s all yet another example of how athletics at UNC can so easily dominate what happens on campus — in this case, without much regard for the needs of the employees … even those who help to make those lucrative athletic events the successes that they are.
Thanks to Darius Dixon, director of housekeeping, some employees received parking passes.
James Holman
Employee Forum
Personnel Issues Committee Chairman
