President Steinmayer: Give Lesley University workers full pay and benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic!

Lesley University Administration

On March 23, 2020, in response to Covid-19, Lesley University moved classes online and closed campuses. As a result, many Lesley food service workers, custodial staff, and public safety staff were terminated, and thus experienced a sudden loss of wages and health benefits. This is a tragic undermining of community health and well-being that fundamentally betrays Lesley’s values. According to the University mission statement, “Lesley prepares socially responsible graduates...to be catalysts shaping a more just, humane, and sustainable world… to develop the tools to… strive for social justice and equity” Is it just to abandon the most vulnerable people in our community without pay? How can we embody our institution’s core values if the administration refuses to model them in the midst of a life-or-death situation?

President Steinmayer has responded to early inquiries by stating that Lesley "is seeking assurances from the companies that their employees are either being redeployed to areas with critical needs or collecting the benefits for which they are eligible" as these individuals are not directly employed through Lesley. To date, “re-deployment” attempts on the part of the subcontractor Bon Appetit have failed. The reality is that these Lesley workers are essential members of our community and we can afford to support them. How can Lesley afford this?


  • The 2020 CARE Act includes $14 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. Lesley is projected to receive $1,997,859 and should have received at least half of this fund. Although the fund requires the university to use 50% of the relief fund for emergency aid to students, the bill specifically mentions that recipients of these funds must retain current employees to the “maximum extent practicable.”


  • Pay cuts taken by highest salaried employees, e.g., a 9% pay cut for Lesley’s 21 highest salaried employees (totaling over $4 million) would easily pay, for example, the University’s 60 laid off food service workers through the end of the semester. Those in the financially strongest positions should be contributing the most to support the most vulnerable during this pandemic. The crisis has significantly affected the University’s revenue, but in light of these figures, the budget excuse rings hollow.

As members of the Lesley community, we demand that Lesley University administration protect food service, custodial, and public safety workers through the following steps:

1. Guarantee continuity in wages and benefits for Lesley University food service, custodial, and public safety workers through the end of the spring 2020 semester.


All Lesley University employees -- both direct and contracted -- must remain employed with regular wages and benefits, consistent with their weekly average, even if they cannot do their regular work from home. This would follow the examples set by MIT, Harvard, and Tufts. In the case of food service workers, each institution agreed to continue paying workers' salaries through the end of the academic year, including those subcontracted by Bon Appetit. We demand that the University works with third-party contractors to make sure that all workers have full pay and benefits for the rest of the semester, whether this means paying workers directly or via third-party contractors.


2. Guarantee hazard pay and provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the food service, custodial, and public safety workers that remain on campus.


A small percentage of Lesley University workers have continued to work on campus, providing essential services to members of the Lesley community, including students with nowhere else to go. These workers should be paid the premium hazard pay (double pay), and be provided with the necessary PPE (including, but not limited to masks, gloves, and disinfectants). This would align Lesley with many other higher education institutions in the U.S.

3. Modify paid leave policies to allow flexibility for workers who become sick, have a dependent become sick, or have otherwise been exposed to COVID-19.


Lesley University food service, custodial, and public safety workers should be able to stay home and observe CDC guidelines regarding quarantine if they believe that they may have contracted or been exposed to the virus. Workers cannot do this without full pay and benefits for the duration of their sick leave. This time should not be subtracted from previously accrued PTO. Similarly, if a dependent becomes sick, employees should be able to take time off to care for their dependent, with full pay and benefits being guaranteed for the duration of time off with no pay being subtracted from previously accrued PTO.




To: Lesley University Administration
From: [Your Name]

On March 23, 2020, in response to Covid-19, Lesley University moved classes online and closed campuses. As a result, many Lesley food service workers, custodial staff, and public safety staff were terminated, and thus experienced a sudden loss of wages and health benefits. This is a tragic undermining of community health and well-being that fundamentally betrays Lesley’s values. According to the University mission statement, “Lesley prepares socially responsible graduates...to be catalysts shaping a more just, humane, and sustainable world… to develop the tools to… strive for social justice and equity” Is it just to abandon the most vulnerable people in our community without pay? How can we embody our institution’s core values if the administration refuses to model them in the midst of a life-or-death situation?

President Steinmayer has responded to to early inquiries by stating that Lesley "is seeking assurances from the companies that their employees are either being redeployed to areas with critical needs or collecting the benefits for which they are eligible" as these individuals are not directly employed through Lesley. To date, “re-deployment” attempts on the part of the subcontractor Bon Appetit have failed. The reality is that these Lesley workers are essential members of our community and we can afford to support them. How can Lesley afford this?

The 2020 CARE Act includes $14 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. Lesley is projected to receive $1,997,859 and should have received at least half of this fund. Although the fund requires the university to use 50% of the relief fund for emergency aid to students, the bill specifically mentions that recipients of these funds must retain current employees to the “maximum extent practicable.”

Pay cuts taken by highest salaried employees, e.g., a 9% pay cut for Lesley’s 21 highest salaried employees (totaling over $4 million) would easily pay, for example, the University’s 60 laid off food service workers through the end of the semester. Those in the financially strongest positions should be contributing the most to support the most vulnerable during this pandemic. The crisis has significantly affected the University’s revenue, but in light of these figures, the budget excuse rings hollow.
​

As members of the Lesley community, we demand that Lesley University administration protect food service, custodial, and public safety workers through the following steps:

1. Guarantee continuity in wages and benefits for Lesley University food service, custodial, and public safety workers through the end of the spring 2020 semester.

All Lesley University employees -- both direct and contracted -- must remain employed with regular wages and benefits, consistent with their weekly average, even if they cannot do their regular work from home. This would follow the examples set by MIT, Harvard, and Tufts. In the case of food service workers, each institution agreed to continue paying workers' salaries through the end of the academic year, including those subcontracted by Bon Appetit. We demand that the University works with third-party contractors to make sure that all workers have full pay and benefits for the rest of the semester, whether this means paying workers directly or via third-party contractors.

2. Guarantee hazard pay and provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the food service, custodial, and public safety workers that remain on campus.

A small percentage of Lesley University workers have continued to work on campus, providing essential services to members of the Lesley community, including students with nowhere else to go. These workers should be paid the premium hazard pay (double pay), and be provided with the necessary PPE (including, but not limited to masks, gloves, and disinfectants). This would align Lesley with many other higher education institutions in the U.S.
​

3. Modify paid leave policies to allow flexibility for workers who become sick, have a dependent become sick, or have otherwise been exposed to COVID-19.

Lesley University food service, custodial, and public safety workers should be able to stay home and observe CDC guidelines regarding quarantine if they believe that they may have contracted or been exposed to the virus. Workers cannot do this without full pay and benefits for the duration of their sick leave. This time should not be subtracted from previously accrued PTO. Similarly, if a dependent becomes sick, employees should be able to take time off to care for their dependent, with full pay and benefits being guaranteed for the duration of time off with no pay being subtracted from previously accrued PTO.