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Thursday, February 7, 2008

Fordham Security Officers Rally for Better Conditions

Earlier today, security workers at Fordham University, along with clergy leaders, student activists and local labor unions rallied for better conditions.

The security workers want better wages, improved benefits and increased training.

Last week, they testified in front of a Worker's Rights Board about their displeasure with the current conditions. This afternoon they planned to deliver that testimony to Fordham President Father Joseph McShane and ask him to remedy the situation.

The Norwood News would have a more detailed report from the rally, but our reporter, despite several valiant attempts, was denied access onto the university's campus. We'll continue to follow this story as it develops.

5 comments:

  1. To view video of the Board, please go to youtube.com/fordham4security.

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  2. How typical that the reporters are denied access to campus for this event. It's too bad, because I'd like to hear more about it.

    I'm not so familiar with the specifics of the issue, but in general the root cause of the affordability crisis in New York City is stagnant wages. While housing groups and tenants continue to fight rising rents, the truth is that housing costs (fuel, water, insurance) continue to climb much faster than wages.

    Any move made by Fordham University (my alma mater) that will increase wages for its working class employees -- including and especially those sub-contracted through Summit Security and Sodexho -- will help to alleviate the affordability crisis in the West Bronx where households typically pay half of their income on rent.

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  3. I hear Fordham guards already make more than most security guards in the city. Won't forcing a non-profit like Fordham to pay them more in turn cause Fordham to raise tuition and take money from financial aid, development and outreach in the Bronx?

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  4. it costs nearly 45,000 per year to attend and live at Fordham University. WHERE is all of that money going?

    one of the guards who testified has worked for fordham for over 30 years and still gets paid under $9 per hour. the hypocrisy of this so called jesuit school is appalling.

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  5. Good question to ask before jumping to conclusions. Fordham, unlike some other wealthy schools, does not have a large endowment (money in the bank it lives off to pay financial aid, run its operations and other stuff). Other richer schools make billions (with a B) off their bank accounts and investments in interest only. Others make much more, but Fordham is trying to raise more money from donors. Fordham has just half of what Columbia makes in a year in interest in the bank to begin with, so that 45000 dollars students pay goes right to running the place, mostly to pay professors. And, did you know, more than 90% of its students receive some kind of aid? The school spends 90 million a year on aid for its students. What part of that will now have to go to raises for guards? Who deserves it more, poor students or guards? Of course it doesn't work that way but it is kind of like asking what the 45000 tuition goes for. Everyone thinks schools are rich. Not Fordham. That's jesuit.

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