The workers were given one day notice of the change and were forced to sign applications for jobs they already thought they had. A coalition of students, faculty, staff, and community members has organized to protest both the SC administrations arrogance and Laro's penchant for union-busting practices. Aside from an obvious caveat, that getting more work for the same money is not budget neutral, the real financial savings will come when the current union contract is up in October 1998. If the college decides to cancel the contract at that time, they will have no obligation to maintain the union as custodians will officially be Laro employees. In either case, the college will make money and the custodians will lose out.
Custodians also argue that the action has racial overtones.
In fact, the decision comes in the midst of union pressure from the custodians to create a promotional pipeline to other levels of employment in the Physical Plant department. In 30 years, only two custodians have ever been promoted in the department and not one of them was a person of color. There have only been two people of color hired for positions above custodian. For years, the city's paparazzi have escaped the heat and grime of urban summers to relax in their multi-million dollar homes on the ocean beaches of the south shore of Long Island. The growing migrant population of Latino workers has filled in niches as landscape and nursery workers at large estates and local vineyards, as well as the lowest paid service sector employees in retail sales work at department and food store chains like K-Mart and King Kullen.