WSU Coalition of Unions Letter to President M. Roy Wilson in Support of Maintenance Workers

February 1, 2023

We, staff, students, and faculty at Wayne State University, are writing to express our support for AFSCME Local 1497 and the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council during their negotiations for fair contracts.

These two contracts cover custodians, groundskeepers, laboratory animal aides, mail clerks, electricians, painters, plumbers, carpenters, and other laborers throughout campus.

AFSCME represents the lowest-paid workers on our campus. We support their ask for a wage increase to bring them in line with market wages at surrounding institutions.

We also support the Trades and AFSCME in their rejection of the proposed “matrix system” from Facilities, Planning & Management. The matrix system would give management the right to put workers wherever they want to, regardless of what job a worker signed up to do.

We understand the need to help one another out for the upkeep of our campus, but AFSCME and the Trades represent laborers who applied to do specific jobs. A carpenter is not trained to do the work of a plumber. The matrix system would cause more problems than it would solve.

Our maintenance workers are understaffed. We need to increase staffing levels of union-represented custodians, grounds workers and all maintenance workers.

We urge you to join us in supporting these essential campus workers who keep our buildings functioning and safe.

Respectfully,

AAUP-AFT Local 6075

GEOC

IUOE Local 324

P&A, UAW Local 1979

SEIU Local 517

Skilled Trades

Staff Association, UAW Local 2071

UNITE HERE! Local 24

UPTF

YDSA

WSU Police Officers Association