Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1938 [PAGE 15]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1936]

President A. C, Willard,

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

13

July 6, 1936

355 Administration

(W)

DEAR PRESIDENT WIELARD:

I wish to report to you more in detail concerning our relations with the T r a d e Unions in Chicago. For years we have been complying with the T r a d e Union regulations at Urbana with respect to wages and, in general, complying with their division of jurisdiction within the various crafts; this, however, has not been true in the Chicago departments. Probably because of the fact that we have had only one or two tradesmen on the staff and also due to the lack of building in the immediate vicinity, business managers of the T r a d e Unions in Chicago have for a number of years been inactive with respect to the University of Illinois. With the change in personnel in the Physical Plant staff in Chicago, a few additional employees were added and taken from the Civil Service lists. These men were members of their respective unions and I believe have been of no help to us in maintaining our former status. In addition, our men have learned that employees in the Department of Public Welfare Plant have all been working in accordance with the Union regulations and receiving the higher rates of pay. Since the start of construction of the Second Unit of the Medical and Dental College Laboratories Building, representatives of the T r a d e Unions have been very active in following this construction, and, as you know, we have had two strikes, one of which occurred during the past week, lasting two days. The business agents have recently been watching closely the Physical Plant employees going from one building to another, and finally last week called in a few of our men and told them the rates they were now being paid and the hours per week they were working. T h e agents also told these men that they would have to see that this was changed or be subject to the usual trade penalties and fines. In addition, I believe the University could also anticipate disturbances if we fail to recognize the Union and probably in the long run would suffer considerable loss of money and time if we tried to fight them. Then, too, our position would hardly be defensible, in view of our recognition of the Unions at Urbana. Taking into consideration all these facts and the possibility of further trouble on the new unit if we fail to comply with the regulations, with the approval of the Business Office we changed the rate of pay and the working schedules of all men in the trades this week. W e have been paying the men on the basis of $1.00 per hour and working them 44 hours per week. T h e trade regulations call for a rate of $1.50 per hour and a thirty-four hour week. There are, of course, only two alternatives open to us now. One is to continue as we are doing at the present time with the same number of employees and on the new schedule, and consequently covering a proportionately smaller amount of work. This will be practically necessary with the existing budget and particularly in view of the contingent fund which we are carrying this year. If we are to keep the buildings up to the standard of maintenance which we feel is absolutely necessary, it would require four additional men on the staff and would add approximately $9,360.00 to our annual expenditures. As I stated previously, under our present budget it is absolutely impossible for us to do this. Consequently, if no other alternatives are open to us, we will have to continue during the balance of this year on a reduced schedule. In view of this increased cost of operation, we feel that the above amount is a minimum which should be added per year to the biennial budget request. This seems only a fair request in view of the impossibility of anticipating the changes in the regulations of the T r a d e Unions. I think it is evident that similar demands will be made at Urbana during the next two years, as the whole country is facing labor unrest and we will be no exception to the rule. Provision should be made, if possible, for such adjustments in the next biennium. Very truly yours, Physical Plant Department

This report was received for record.

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