CUB employees working with HRS to find new jobs

As Compton Union Building renewal plans near finalization, some concerns have circulated about elimination of CUB classified positions and where employees would go.

“It is premature to say anyone is losing their job at this point,” said Steve DeSoer, director of Human Resource Services. “The only thing certain we know at this point is that the CUB will close on May 15. Other than that, everything else is just conjecture.”

DeSoer said his department has been working with CUB employees since early December to outline people’s qualifications and experience and to look for employment options.

Jerry Marczynski, associate vice president of Student Affairs, said the positions affected by the closure include: 1 front desk person, 1 administrative assistant, 2 maintenance custodian supervisors, 2 maintenance custodian leads, 3 maintenance custodians, and 1 custodian.

“Everyone is working with Student Affairs and Human Resource Services to minimize the impact of the CUB closing,” he added.

“Ideally, these people will be able to find an open position before the CUB closes, but we won’t know for sure until May 15,” DeSoer said.

Between now and then, employees can apply for any open position within the university system statewide. And, all but one of the positions mentioned above will have bumping rights within their vice presidential unit — Student Affairs.

Only one position at the CUB is currently slated to be eliminated, due to the fact that the CUB hotel is being permanently closed and there are no other comparable positions within the university system. However, that person can still seek alternate positions within the university.

No Dining Services jobs will be lost during the renewal period, said Marczynski. Instead, CUB Dining Service employees will be reassigned to alternate dining centers, where they will help accommodate the overflow of patrons generated from the closure of the CUB and Rotunda eateries during renovations. And, those positions and salaries for dining employees will remain the same.

Of the eight custodial staff positions in question, two maintenance custodians have already elected to transfer to related positions within University Housing. Those positions were slightly lower in rank and resulted in relatively lower salaries. The advantage, however, is that they offered clear continued job security, and those people can continue to look for other positions or advancement.

The remaining six CUB custodial staff members are continuing to work with HRS and Student Affairs to find new positions. If they cannot find acceptable openings at the university by May 15, they do have the right to bump into other positions within Student Affairs.

“The remodeling of the CUB will be one of the biggest capital projects ever conducted at WSU, simply because it is the largest central-use building on campus,” DeSoer said. Several businesses and services will be eliminated in the process, including Regency Room (dining), the bowling alley and the hotel.

Because the CUB will be closed for two years, current positions there will be eliminated on May 15, “but that does not mean anyone will lose employment within the WSU system,” DeSoer emphasized.

New CUB positions will be created in 2008 to reflect the reorganization of that structure. At that point, WSU employees universitywide will have an opportunity to apply for those positions.

An update on CUB renewal plans was scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, in the CUB Clevenger Lounge, where designers, administrators and others were on hand to explain plans and answer questions. A formal presentation was slated for noon.