Open letter to President Samarasekera

October 6, 2010

Dr. Indira V. Samarasekera
University of Alberta
Office of the President
3-1 University Hall
T6G 2J9

Dear President Samarasekera:

We, the undersigned, are writing to you in the wake of the increased attention that has been focused recently on our institution, the University of Alberta. For the past several days, local, provincial and national media have generated significant coverage of the ongoing dispute between janitorial employees and their employer, Bee Clean Building Maintenance, bringing to light several troubling labour related issues. As engaged students and faculty here at the University of Alberta, we are impelled to commit to you in writing that we are deeply concerned at the perceived inattention to this issue by the senior administration.

Sincerely, we laud the ethos of the Dare to Discover document; its spirit and vision are tantamount to Henry Marshall Torys pledge that for the university the uplifting of the whole people shall be its final goal. We trust that with constant reference to the Dare to Discover document, to its values and its commitments, the University of Alberta will be successful in its plan to become one of the worlds great universities for the public good. And in many ways, we believe in the universitys greatness already, even on the worlds stage. Indeed, the fine reputation and tradition of our university is a significant reason that we choose to pursue our academic goals through the University of Alberta.

And so it is by our shared tradition, marked by the renewed pledge of the Dare to Discover document, that we must measure not only our successes, but also consider our shortcomings. Specifically, we dedicate ourselves to the third cornerstone, "connecting communities". We understand this to mean community engagement, and we take it to be a very serious call. Therefore, as members of the community of this university, we would be remiss if we did not remember that our successes depend upon all the people who work very hard to maintain the university and its facilities. For this reason, we respectfully ask that you acquiesce to meet with the workers who have filed a formal unfair labour practice complaint to Bee Clean Building Maintenance. Although we are aware that a spokeswoman of your office has reiterated the reasons for the universitys silence on this deeply troubling issue, we stand firm in our belief that we, the university community, are ultimately responsible for the treatment of individuals who work alongside us at our institution. Only through direct dialogue can we begin to ensure that ethical labour practices are adhered to by Bee Clean Building Maintenance. On our behalf, please begin this conversation.