U. employees ponder class-action suit

At a town meeting yesterday, worried employees discussed Trammell Crow implications. Employees affected by the recently announced decision to outsource facilities management to the Trammell Crow Co. may file a class-action lawsuit Thursday accusing University administrators of violating a federal pension and welfare law. The possible lawsuit was a hot topic at a town meeting yesterday protesting the outsourcing agreement. Attorney Stephen Pennington and lawyers with the Williams and Cuker law firm will decide today whether the outsourcing violates federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act requirements dealing with pension and welfare plans. "If our investigation determines that in fact there was a violation, we'll take all the steps necessary to stop the outsourcing of these jobs before the contract is signed with Trammell Crow," Pennington said. Executive Vice President John Fry said he had no knowledge of the possible lawsuit and refused to make further comment. Yesterday, Fry announced changes in the tuition benefits employees who are re-hired by Trammell Crow will receive. Tuition benefits for spouses will extend only through this spring, not through spring 2001 as had previously been indicated, he said. Those with dependent children will receive tuition benefits indefinitely, provided that they continue to be employed by the company and work at Penn. Workers were skeptical that they might be transferred to other Trammell Crow locations and lose such benefits. Fry said it would be "highly unlikely," however, that employees would be transferred to another Trammell Crow site without their consent. Also at yesterday's meeting, employees and students decided to hold a rally on College Green Thursday between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m to express their objections to the outsourcing decision. The protest is open to all members of the University community. And anyone concerned with the deal can join the "Save Our Jobs Committee" -- formed yesterday -- to show support for the employees and protest the University's handling of the deal. Fact sheets about the committee's objections and future plans will be available at the Women's Center, according to its director, Elena DiLapi. Many of the employees at yesterday's meeting said they were angry about the outsourcing decision. "We're angry, outraged and not willing to sit back and take this," said Housing and Residence Life employee Rashida Abdu, who moderated the event. Employees hope to prevent the University Board of Trustees from finalizing the agreement at its November 7 meeting. "If we don't start rallying now, the deal will go right through and many of us will no longer be here," Abdu added. African-American Assembly member Tom Henry added that "we need to make it really uncomfortable for the trustees to go into their meeting and approve this deal." But Fry stressed that the trustees' position is currently "one of real support." Employees said they also hope to spur student and faculty objections to the deal, since they said the potential outsourcing affects the entire University community. Yesterday's meeting drew support from groups including the Graduate and Professional Students Assembly, the Undergraduate Assembly and the Black Student League. GAPSA Chairperson Victoria Tredinnick said her organization will pass two resolutions at its Wednesday meeting to protest the outsourcing.