Dear President Ambar and Board Chair Canavan,
This is to inform you that we alumni have started to collect money for the 1833 Just Transition Fund to support the food service and custodial workers whose jobs are being eliminated from “One Oberlin.”
We understand that starting tomorrow 54 food service workers with decent paying jobs will be replaced by AVI, a low-wage contractor. To do this in a town with over a twenty-three percent poverty rate in the middle of a pandemic violates the very fiber of Oberlin’s progressive heritage. It is shameful.
To help protect Oberlin’s traditions we have collected 54 financial pledges to the Fund in the last 48 hours in honor of each worker (average donation $1,220). This money will go to the workers if these harmful layoffs take place. However, if the administration returns to the bargaining table and secures a fair and equitable contract, we will gladly redirect the money we raise to the College we love. We continue to reach out to our fellow Obies on behalf of this Fund.
If this needless job destruction continues we will raise money for the 1833 Just Transition Fund for a minimum of five years. All of these funds will go to the discontinued workers and their families.
As alumni who care so deeply about Oberlin, we urge the administration to save these jobs and protect the living wages that the town so desperately needs.
Let’s make One Oberlin a living reality.
Sincerely,
The 1833 Just Transition Fund Contributors (200+ pledged donations)
& The 1833 Just Transition Fund Steering Committee:
Rebecca Givan '97
Les Leopold '69
Bernie Mayer '68
Jenny Bower '14
Ted Morgan '68
Cassandra Ogren '02
Susan Phillips '76
Kris Raab '89
Alexander Rabb '95
This is to inform you that we alumni have started to collect money for the 1833 Just Transition Fund to support the food service and custodial workers whose jobs are being eliminated from “One Oberlin.”
We understand that starting tomorrow 54 food service workers with decent paying jobs will be replaced by AVI, a low-wage contractor. To do this in a town with over a twenty-three percent poverty rate in the middle of a pandemic violates the very fiber of Oberlin’s progressive heritage. It is shameful.
To help protect Oberlin’s traditions we have collected 54 financial pledges to the Fund in the last 48 hours in honor of each worker (average donation $1,220). This money will go to the workers if these harmful layoffs take place. However, if the administration returns to the bargaining table and secures a fair and equitable contract, we will gladly redirect the money we raise to the College we love. We continue to reach out to our fellow Obies on behalf of this Fund.
If this needless job destruction continues we will raise money for the 1833 Just Transition Fund for a minimum of five years. All of these funds will go to the discontinued workers and their families.
As alumni who care so deeply about Oberlin, we urge the administration to save these jobs and protect the living wages that the town so desperately needs.
Let’s make One Oberlin a living reality.
Sincerely,
The 1833 Just Transition Fund Contributors (200+ pledged donations)
& The 1833 Just Transition Fund Steering Committee:
Rebecca Givan '97
Les Leopold '69
Bernie Mayer '68
Jenny Bower '14
Ted Morgan '68
Cassandra Ogren '02
Susan Phillips '76
Kris Raab '89
Alexander Rabb '95
