Alumni withhold donations over Oberlin College union layoffs

This story has been updated. About 30 students per year received funding through a social justice scholarship at Oberlin College. OBERLIN — Les Leopold loves his alma mater. But he's not giving Oberlin College a penny until it changes its stance on labor. "You can't have lofty ideals if you don't practice them at home," said the 1969 graduate, who now lives in New Jersey. Leopold is one of many alumni criticizing the college for outsourcing jobs that had belonged to employees represented by the United Auto Workers. Their frustration has been channeled into an effort called The Oberlin Just Transition Fund. Instead of giving donations to the college, alumni have pledged nearly $145,000 to go to workers who lost their jobs. So far, more than 532 pledges have been made, and 2,400 alumni reportedly signed a petition saying they would not support Oberlin College through financial gifts unless it reverses course. "There are a lot of Oberlin grads who are either working with trade unions or community groups that are very sensitive to these issues," Leopold said. In February, students and union members protested Oberlin College's plans to end its UAW contract and lay off as many as 108 people. Fifty-seven food service jobs were cut in June — some or all of those workers could be hired back by AVI Fresh, which was chosen to run college dining halls. Custodial workers say they have been informed their last day will be Aug. 15. "It seems to me the college is trying to improve its economic standing on the backs of the most vulnerable workers," said Susan Phillips, a 1976 graduate who now lives in Maryland. She grew up in a middle-class family, and after graduating she worked in the labor movement on Capitol Hill. It wasn't until late in life that she discovered her mother had saved a tremendous amount of money. When her mother died, Phillips inherited. But she said she didn't need a beach house or fancy cars — so she decided to use the cash for good instead of spending lavishly. From 2016 to 2019, Phillips donated more than $100,000 per year to Oberlin College, funding a social justice scholarship that helped students with summer internships. In those four years, about 30 students received aid from the scholarship each year, she said. The decision to rescind the donations was agonizing, Phillips said. "I knew that I was denying people financial support and experiences, but I also thought it would be hypocritical of me to fund a social justice scholarship when the college is mistreating its workers," she said. Not all, but some of the scholarship seed money has been moved to the Oberlin Just Transition Fund. Phillips said the plan is to help laid-off workers with health insurance benefits, which are more important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leopold said the college has bred "so much ill will" in the community by moving ahead with layoffs during the pandemic, and when joblessness has spiked. Lorain County's June unemployment rate of 13.7 percent was second-highest in the state, behind only Cuyahoga County, according to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. "Maybe if we raise enough money, the college would talk with us and resolve it in an amicable way," Leopold said. The Oberlin Just Transition Fund Steering Committee, made up of alumni, said it sent a letter to college President Carmen Twillie Ambar and Board Chair Chris Canavan. It objected to the outsourcing plan, which "in the middle of a pandemic violates the very fiber of Oberlin's progressive heritage. It is shameful," the letter said. Oberlin College declined to comment for this story. Phillips said she would feel comfortable reinstating her donations to the college if it were to ensure workers have decent wages and health benefits. She said she understands Oberlin College is experiencing financial problems, but said workers should be protected nonetheless — layoffs "just seem elitist and cruel." "What the hell is happening to Oberlin? The last institution I thought would bust a union is Oberlin. To me, it's unfathomable," she said. Leopold said blue-collar workers should not bear the brunt of cost-cutting measures. There are plenty of white-collar and administrative jobs that could share the burden, he said. He said alumni may withhold donations, but they still love Oberlin College and want to see it "back on the right path." But in Leopold's mind, his alma mater has become corporatized and embraced a different set of values than when he attended more than a half-century ago. "We love the place, and it is starting to look like a place we couldn't love," he said, later adding, "If I didn't love the place, I wouldn't even dream about getting involved. I would just back away." More anger over layoffsThe Oberlin College Office and Professional Employees has published a letter expressing anger and disappointment over outsourcing of jobs held by United Auto Workers union jobs. "This ugly decision on the part of Oberlin's leadership runs contrary to the history and culture of this institution, and serves to divide our campus based upon socioeconomic fault lines that we should collectively be working to erase," it said. "We condemn the college leadership for their continued deployment of misinformation and divisive language cloaked in platitudes." The college's "One Oberlin" plan introduced in May 2019 made a distinction between hourly workers and others, and OCOPE's letter said that it has since become evident "that the ability to participate in the discussions that would inform official recommendations that would impact every person on campus was limited to faculty, students and salaried staff. When the systematic exclusion of union members was questioned, the common refrain was that an employee's affiliation with the union made it impossible for inclusion." Months of attempts to save union jobs were met with "stony silence and hardball offer" that resulted in job cuts. "In diverting funds from unionized individuals to a corporation that profits from conditions of employment below a reasonable living wage, Oberlin College will be encouraging systematic oppression," the OCOPE letter said. It called for an explanation for why concessions offered by the UAW to the tune of more than $1 million were rejected. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.