In his first inaugural address, Herman B. Wells said, “Never was the university's responsibilities for the development of character of greater significance than at the present hour.” We believe this statement extends to the present, and one way of showing character is the way in which this university treats its employees. By outsourcing employees Indiana University is tearing down the characterization that the founders of IU worked to maintain. This is not in the best interests of IU.
Outsourcing is bad policy and CWA Local 4730 does not endorse the Barnes and Noble takeover of the IU Bookstores or any future IU outsourcing. The privatization of the bookstores was carried out unilaterally by the Board of Trustees in response to ideological concerns. We believe that this arrangement is further evidence of the “WalMartization” of Indiana University, where the quick acquisition of capital comes at the expense of loyal IU employees and the students they serve. It benefits neither the students, the university nor the communities which IU calls its home.
We also protest that the voices of the workers affected by this outsourcing were kept out of the formal decision making process. No staff at any level was included on the committee that reviewed the different proposals. Despite this the overwhelming public opposition was heard, as 6000 signed petitions and nearly 200 attended a rally opposing the outsourcing initiative, and this played a significant role in the generous packages that will be offered to the current bookstore employees. However, this is just a short-term gain and does not offset the fact that these employees have been cast off from the IU family, no longer enjoying union protection and now subject to the whims of corporate America. It reflects short-term thinking at the expense of the long-term well being of the University and its employees.
IU staff cannot focus just on the short-term. Instead, we focus on job stability, good pay, and pensions-- hard fought and bargained Union benefits. These things have now been lost for dozens of employees as one can expect that over time the current bookstore employees will be cast aside like driftwood and replaced by low paid workers with poor benefits and few rights.
We as CWA will remember our peers at the bookstore, and we will continue to exert our influence so that the university treats these staff members fairly and justly. To this end we intend to monitor the implementation of the agreement and make sure the terms of separation are honored by the Administration. We will continue to fight for the rights of all IU staff as long and as hard as we can, for this is in the best interest of IU.

Executive Board - CWA Local 4730
Peter Kaczmarczyk - President
http://www.indiana.edu/~cwa/index.html