Treat all staff and faculty equally

In August of this year, custodians at the College of Veterinary Medicine were required to leave their badges on campus after their shifts ended. While this may seem like a good policy to help monitor the building after hours, housekeepers are the only people on campus required to hand in their ID badges.

After being continuously harassed by University security for not having her required ID on campus as she began and ended her job, Nedra Rollins refused to turn in her badge at the end of her shift and was summarily fired.  There is no evidence or surveillance that proves that NCSU housekeepers are the culprits of building thefts.

Chancellor Oblinger, please explain how this is a fair and justified policy. All other groups of occupants can come and go as they please while one group is targeted as criminal. Honestly, how would you feel working on N.C. State’s campus if you were demanded to turn over your campus identification card and keys everyday knowing you would face daily harassment leaving and returning to work the next day? In light of the Free Expression Tunnel incident, and given a policy that treats housekeepers as criminals, I’m thinking you’d feel pretty devalued and unwelcome.

On behalf of the Student-Worker Alliance, UE 150 Public Service Workers Union, and hundreds of online petition signers, I urge you to reinstate Nedra Rollins, and change this policy that unfairly targets and discriminates against our University’s housekeepers.

Tricia McTague

graduate student, sociology