Stand With Spelman’s Janitorial Workers

President Ayanna Howard and the Spelman College Board of Trustees

Stand With Spelman’s Janitorial Workers

On June 30, Spelman College changed its campus cleaning contractor from Aramark Corporation to Integrity National Corporation.

The longtime Spelman janitorial workers employed by Aramark had a union contract, and many had worked on the campus for more than 15 years. When Integrity took over, almost none of these experienced workers were hired.

Thirty-five workers lost their jobs. Most are African-American women.

Along with their jobs, workers lost their seniority and the wages and benefits they had earned through their union contract.

Spelman College can make this right.

Please join students, parents, alumnae, faculty, staff and community supporters in calling on Spelman to provide justice for these displaced workers and establish permanent protections for contracted workers on campus.


To: President Ayanna Howard and the Spelman College Board of Trustees
From: [Your Name]

We, the undersigned, call upon Spelman College to stand with the janitorial workers who have devoted years of service to keeping the Spelman campus clean, safe and welcoming.

We ask Spelman College to:

1. Provide justice for the displaced workers.

Offer the 35 workers who lost their jobs either an equivalent job on the Spelman College campus or severance pay equal to one week of pay for every year of service to Spelman College.

2. Adopt a permanent worker-protection policy for all contracted employees at Spelman College.

Require contractors operating on the Spelman campus to provide:

* A living wage of at least $20 per hour
* Affordable, quality health insurance
* An employer-funded retirement plan that does not require an employee match
* Job and seniority protections when Spelman changes contractors
* Neutrality during union organizing drives so workers can decide for themselves whether to organize a union without interference

Workers should not lose their livelihoods simply because Spelman College decides to change contractors.

We call upon the President and Board of Trustees of Spelman College to meet these demands and establish permanent protections for contracted workers on the Spelman campus.