Willow Glen Resident

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City custodians to ask SJ council for priority over contract workers

By Monica Heger

Since the opening of the new city hall last fall, San Jose officials have been outsourcing the building's maintenance work to ACME Building Maintenance Company rather than hiring additional city employees. City custodians hope to change that.

With the maintenance company's contract set to expire this month, Erik Larsen, president of the Municipal Employees Federation, is trying to convince the city to adopt a phased-in plan for city custodians.

"City employees have always done the work at city hall," Larsen said. "We don't want to lose that."

At the old city hall, the city employed five custodians. The new city hall requires about 30 custodians.

Larsen said the city saves a hefty sum of money by contracting their custodial work out to ACME employees. While a full-time city custodian costs the city around $55,000 per year, an ACME employee costs the city $39,000 per year. The main difference is in the health insurance costs, which the city does not have to pay for an ACME employee.

A city custodian makes about $20 per hour with vacation and health benefits. ACME charges the city $18 per hour per employee, according to city records.

While the need to save money is understandable, Larsen said it doesn't make sense, especially in light of recent raises other employees have received.

"Does this council want to be known for supporting a two-tier work force?" Larsen asked.

Randy Turner, deputy director of general services, said when the new city hall was built, the city did not know what the custodial needs were going to be. Officials brought over all five of the city custodians from the old city hall and then contracted out the remainder of the work. Turner said the city is now working with the unions and the employee relations department on the issue.

"We are advancing a proposal this year through the budget process that would bring three additional custodians to the day shift," Turner said. "We'll continue to study the building's heavy cleaning needs along with the union's from this point forward."

Matt Morley, city hall facilities manager, said the city typically employs a combination of in-house and city custodians but is working with the unions to implement a phasing-in plan for more custodians.

"We're in discussions with the union about how it would work," Morley said. "For the coming fiscal year, we're looking at a combination of city and contract employees, and for the future, it may change."

Councilman Ken Yeager said he supported a phase-in policy.