Dear Member,
I want to talk briefly about the issue of elevators on campus, to inform you of the gravity of the problem, and of an effort on behalf of a large part of the WSU family to make this matter a priority.
To summarize, elevators are a crisis issue at WSU, an emergency, and we are concerned that it is not the highest priority that it needs to be.
And I will add, that while the issue today is specifically the state of elevators, more broadly, it is the matter of maintenance and infrastructure upkeep generally across campus.
To give you a sense of the scale and gravity of our concern, I am speaking today on behalf of 10 WSU unions, as well as the Student Senate.
The list includes the Graduate Students GEOC-AFT Local 6123, the Part-Time Faculty UPTF-AFT Local 477, the Electricians IBEW Local 58, the Aramark Dining Workers Teamsters Local 337, the Professional & Administrative Staff UAW P&A Local 1979, the Staff Association UAW Local 2071, the Custodial Staff United Here Local 24, the Operating Engineers IUOE Local 324, the Wayne State Police Officers Association, and the Faculty and Academic Staff AAUP-AFT Local 6075.
This is an unprecedented coalition of organized labor and university students. We have joined our voices, we have started a public campaign, because we care about our University, and because we have become so completely frustrated with the situation with elevators.
In fact, we have created a web site, we have printed flyers, we have buttons, and the hashtag is #FixTheElevators
To give you a sense of the scale of the concern, in 2019, the WSU Police were called 139 times to rescue people trapped in elevators. In buildings, parking structures and housing. That is a rescue call almost every other day.
To give you a sense of the scale of the concern, as soon as we publicized our campaign and asked for stories, we received over 60 personal accounts of people being stuck in elevators in a matter of days.
It is hard to hear the story of a mother with her baby in a carriage, being advised by parking personnel to just use the ramp to walk down four levels of the parking structure, down the same narrow ramp where cars are going by or backing up. And then to have to walk it all back up.
It is hard to hear the story of a colleague, who had to stop halfway up the stairs in Old Main, drenched in a cold sweat, as her pacemaker started to go off.
It is hard to hear any of the many stories we have received, of students, faculty, and staff, whether with asthma, hip surgery, phobias, or any of a number of disabilities, suffering day after day, for over 4 years now.
We are very concerned.
We are concerned about a term we have recently learned, “deferred maintenance”, whereby the budget for elevators and similar maintenance matters is diverted elsewhere.
We are concerned about the severe reduction in various maintenance staff positions, that has resulted in unkept spaces, dirty carpets, and piling garbage, especially in classrooms.
We are concerned that the maintenance and upkeep of our home is not a priority, while we spend great sums to buy buildings, build new ones, and talk of Division 1 sports teams.
Mr. President, members of the Board of Governors, this is not some “us against them” issue. We all spend the better part of our lives here. Deans, Vice Presidents, administrators and the President all take elevators, as we all do.
This is an issue for the entire WSU family.
We know that if we spend the dollars, an elevator can be fixed in 3 weeks, instead of 3 months. We have spoken to elevator engineers. Crews can be brought in from across the state, even Chicago, and they can work on 24 hour shifts to get the job done. This is how an emergency is addressed.
Prioritize this issue, make it a top University priority, spend the dollars needed to fix this now, and work with all of us to get this done.
The current state of elevators at WSU is not acceptable, and it is not befitting of a great university.
Hayg Oshagan
Assoc. Prof.
Department of Communication
AAUP-AFT Executive Board member Hayg Oshagan statement to WSU Board of Governors meeting on 1.31.20, on behalf of #FixTheElevators campaign. A slightly shorter version was presented as speakers’ time was cut from 5 min. to 3 min.
For further information, please see FixTheElevators.com
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To the members of the WSU Board of Governors, President Wilson, thank you for the opportunity for comment today.I want to talk briefly about the issue of elevators on campus, to inform you of the gravity of the problem, and of an effort on behalf of a large part of the WSU family to make this matter a priority.
To summarize, elevators are a crisis issue at WSU, an emergency, and we are concerned that it is not the highest priority that it needs to be.
And I will add, that while the issue today is specifically the state of elevators, more broadly, it is the matter of maintenance and infrastructure upkeep generally across campus.
To give you a sense of the scale and gravity of our concern, I am speaking today on behalf of 10 WSU unions, as well as the Student Senate.
The list includes the Graduate Students GEOC-AFT Local 6123, the Part-Time Faculty UPTF-AFT Local 477, the Electricians IBEW Local 58, the Aramark Dining Workers Teamsters Local 337, the Professional & Administrative Staff UAW P&A Local 1979, the Staff Association UAW Local 2071, the Custodial Staff United Here Local 24, the Operating Engineers IUOE Local 324, the Wayne State Police Officers Association, and the Faculty and Academic Staff AAUP-AFT Local 6075.
This is an unprecedented coalition of organized labor and university students. We have joined our voices, we have started a public campaign, because we care about our University, and because we have become so completely frustrated with the situation with elevators.
In fact, we have created a web site, we have printed flyers, we have buttons, and the hashtag is #FixTheElevators
To give you a sense of the scale of the concern, in 2019, the WSU Police were called 139 times to rescue people trapped in elevators. In buildings, parking structures and housing. That is a rescue call almost every other day.
To give you a sense of the scale of the concern, as soon as we publicized our campaign and asked for stories, we received over 60 personal accounts of people being stuck in elevators in a matter of days.
It is hard to hear the story of a mother with her baby in a carriage, being advised by parking personnel to just use the ramp to walk down four levels of the parking structure, down the same narrow ramp where cars are going by or backing up. And then to have to walk it all back up.
It is hard to hear the story of a colleague, who had to stop halfway up the stairs in Old Main, drenched in a cold sweat, as her pacemaker started to go off.
It is hard to hear any of the many stories we have received, of students, faculty, and staff, whether with asthma, hip surgery, phobias, or any of a number of disabilities, suffering day after day, for over 4 years now.
We are very concerned.
We are concerned about a term we have recently learned, “deferred maintenance”, whereby the budget for elevators and similar maintenance matters is diverted elsewhere.
We are concerned about the severe reduction in various maintenance staff positions, that has resulted in unkept spaces, dirty carpets, and piling garbage, especially in classrooms.
We are concerned that the maintenance and upkeep of our home is not a priority, while we spend great sums to buy buildings, build new ones, and talk of Division 1 sports teams.
Mr. President, members of the Board of Governors, this is not some “us against them” issue. We all spend the better part of our lives here. Deans, Vice Presidents, administrators and the President all take elevators, as we all do.
This is an issue for the entire WSU family.
We know that if we spend the dollars, an elevator can be fixed in 3 weeks, instead of 3 months. We have spoken to elevator engineers. Crews can be brought in from across the state, even Chicago, and they can work on 24 hour shifts to get the job done. This is how an emergency is addressed.
Prioritize this issue, make it a top University priority, spend the dollars needed to fix this now, and work with all of us to get this done.
The current state of elevators at WSU is not acceptable, and it is not befitting of a great university.
Hayg Oshagan
Assoc. Prof.
Department of Communication
