Contracts reveal ISU is paying strikebreakers more than $150,000
Documents show that Illinois State University has already paid or committed to pay more than $150,000—at rates from $38 to $197 an hour—in just three contracts with private, for-profit companies for temporary replacement workers, commonly known as strikebreakers or scabs.
At least two of the contracts—revealed by a Freedom of Information Act request—were developed before more than 300 buildings, grounds and dining services went on strike April 8. They show ISU contracting for scabs even as the parties remained at the bargaining table, where the university was refusing to negotiate—suggesting that, rather than bargaining in good faith, ISU administrators were secretly scheming to break a strike and force workers to accept the university’s takeaway demands.
A purchase order for “janitorial labor” from Go Green Commercial Cleaning of Bloomington is dated April 7—the day before the parties were scheduled to meet with a mediator and two days before the union’s strike deadline. The contract provides “Contingency Labor Support – Cleaning Services … only during the time of the emergency,” including 25 cleaning technicians for 7.5 hours a day for just five days at $50 an hour, for a total of $49,000.
Similarly, a purchase order for “Contingency Mowing Support” from BGI Services of Bloomington was signed by the company on April 6 and by ISU on April 7—while the parties were still purportedly in negotiations and before the strike began. BGI is paid up to $197 an hour or a total of $45,000 for just days of mowing through April 12.
A contract with Chicago-based Rozalado Services for “temporary janitorial labor … during a potential labor disruption” provides 15 employees working 600 hours per week, for which the firm is paid $38 an hour ($57 an hour for overtime) or $22,800 weekly, up to a limit of $60,800. The agreement was revised to allow for more strikebreakers and a higher cost ceiling of $80,156.
The three contracts obtained by the union may be viewed here. There could be more.
AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said, “ISU administrators hiring strikebreakers is illegal. Funneling more than $150,000 in public funds—tax dollars, tuition dollars—to private, for-profit scab companies is immoral. And doing all that to break a strike by long-time, dedicated campus employees who simply insist on being treated fairly—it’s disgusting. President Tarhule and Vice President Nelson should get back to the bargaining table, drop their takeaway demands and negotiate immediately to end the strike.”