UF custodians fight the continuing "night shaft"

UF custodians fight the continuing "night shaft"
September 2000

Unions and community groups gathered to rally with UF Custodial workers who were objecting to being put on permanent 11pm-7am graveyard shift. An additional three dozen workers were told in a July 17 letter that, "effective August 13, 200, the working hours and working days for this position will change to 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday."

According to AFSCME 3340 union president Sharon Bauer, the workers were told that they could request reassignment to another building, but since the administration has announced plans to move 80% of the staff to nights, this would mean being moved to an unknown building with unknown coworkers and supervisors, only then to be moved to nights later.

Student Peace Action is currently showing solidarity with the workers every Sunday night, providing coffee, donuts and fruit from 11 p.m.-3 a.m. near the Psychology building. Call Student Peace Action if you want to help out with this, 335-2553.

Several students got up in the middle of a welcome-student speech by Interim Provost David Colburn holding signs in the O'Connell Center saying "Fight the Night Shaft." Additionally, UF administratrors complained that they are being called late at night by people wanting to discuss the night shift switch with them.

The Faculty Senate formed a task force which asked that Building Services get input from employees and customers, and interim UF president Charles Young has reportedly received over 600 pages of email about the issue. He's not responded to any of them, according to the union, which has also requested a meeting with him 3 times and received no response.

For more information, you can visit the union website, at:
www.afn.org/~share/afscme3340.htm