WFSE Steward Puts a Stop to Assignments Out of Class at Peninsula College

After years of underpayment at Peninsula College, WFSE Local 1463 members strategically protested efforts by the college to get members to work out of classification. Now, Custodians and Grounds and Nursery Specialists have been reclassified at all Peninsula College campuses.

Grounds and custodial workers at Peninsula College work tirelessly to help support the school, its students, and its faculty, no matter the weather. For years, their goodwill was taken advantage of as they were asked to work out of classification without proper compensation.

“We try and help out the college, but we want our members to be paid for the work they’re doing,” said Tom Cline, Local 1463 President and Senior Systems Administrator for Peninsula College.

Grounds and custodial workers at Peninsula College keep the campuses clean, beautiful, and safe for everyone. However, even their wide skillsets have set duties in their contracts, ensuring they’re properly compensated.

“Our classified grounds and our custodial one staff have been constantly used to set up events,” said Cline. “They were always on-call, doing snow removal and other stuff, which isn’t a custodial one or grounds one duty.”

Members at Peninsula College, including the nine members consistently being asked to work out of classification, worked informally for years with the department’s Vice President to no avail. That’s when they decided to take things into their own hands.

“We could never get a really good answer from them,” said Cline. “We just kept pushing. A couple of times we threatened, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, they’re gonna be too sick to work at that event.’ That seemed to get them to understand.”

After collaborating with fellow union members to stand up against working above their classifications, all Custodian 1 workers have been reclassified as Custodian 2s, and all Grounds and Nursery Service Specialist 1s are Grounds and Nursery Service Specialist 2s at all Peninsula College campuses.

Not only has this move protected workers from doing duties outside their classification without proper pay, but it’s also helped strengthen bonds among members at Peninsula College. Reclassification efforts would have been an uphill battle without the help of other union members.

“This is an at-will state,” said Cline. “They don’t have to keep you working if they feel that you’re not gonna do everything that they want you to do. The advantage of having a union is that you can actually have meaningful conversations because it’s not just one person against management.”

These protections may seem like a given for those of us represented by WFSE. But the right to speak up against management isn’t protected in at-will states; the only reason we can is because of our union protections.

Having a voice in the workplace, protected by a contract that keeps us safe from being fired for pointing out inequality, is invaluable. It’s the only reason change happens in most departments around the state.

“You have all these people to back you up,” said Cline. “You know they’re going to be behind your back.”