Four more facilities management employees received layoff notices earlier this week. One is a classified, non-bargaining employee and three were members of the university's employee union. Last week, four administrators in the department were laid off.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, Local 1699 employees laid off were: Betty Barnhart, a painter in Maintenance and Operations; Jamie Roeder, assistant sheet metal worker in Maintenance and Operations; and Greg King, equipment operator in Grounds Maintenance. Classified, non-bargaining employee Marian Coen, building services manager in the Custodial Maintenance Department, also received notice.
The cuts are budget related, said Director of Facilities Management Terry Conry. Facilities Management has a budget of $18.8 million this year, and this is a 3.8 percent cut from last year, he said. Cutting the four positions will save $250,000, even when factoring in the shifting of employees within the university.
OU Director of Legal Affairs John Burns said the university would save $350,000 after firing the four administrators last week.
Due to contract agreements, the employees laid off this week are eligible to obtain jobs they have seniority and qualifications for within the university, Conry said. Although they may obtain new positions at OU, the employees' future wages might be affected. Charlie Adkins, president of the AFSCME Local 1699, said the union contract binds the university to a certain policy for layoff rights, collective bargaining and arbitration. He said the union will watch closely if the university privatizes any work, and does not think that eliminating the jobs will save the university money in the long run.
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Megan Chew
