UNA has begun outsourcing custodial work, leaving many employees poorly supplied, understaffed and without many state benefits.

After last Spring semester, UNA’s environmental service workers were called into a meeting and given termination notices. They had three days to decide if they were going to give up almost all their benefits as a state employee and become employed under a private company. 

UNA hired SSC for education, a private company headquartered in Knoxville, aimed at outsourcing Environmental Service facilities, grounds and maintenance workers.

“By the end of the day, I finished my shift out, and I turned in my stuff and I left. I just felt like it wasn’t worth staying,” Heather Lawson, a former UNA employee, told AL.com. 

“In 2024, UNA was designated a ‘great college to work for.’ Yet the resignation letters of environmental service workers who recently transitioned to SSC management have indicated otherwise,” said a letter sent to President Ken Kitts, UNA’s Board of Trustees and Evan Thornton, who handles UNA’s financial affairs. 

“I appreciate the opportunities I’ve had her[e] at UNA, but the work environment, particular[ly] the way things have been managed, has become toxic for me. It has negatively impacted my mental health, and I no longer feel I can stay in a place where I’m not respected or supported,” Sarah Young said in her resignation letter to UNA, according to AL.com. 

“We feel like we’re slaves. We feel like we’re cattle. We’ve been sold and branded,” one employee said. “Nobody wants to feel like that.” 

Workers for SSC will be required to pay an additional $600-$700 per month for benefits that were previously covered by the university. 

This loss is offset by a pay raise ranging from $0.90-$1.55 per hour.

“[The pay increase] doesn’t matter while we’re having to pay for our insurance. That doesn’t even cover the difference,” one employee said. 

“We’d rather make the $10.50 and get all the benefits,” said another. 

Both employees interviewed with The Flor-Ala under the conditions of anonymity. 

Former UNA employees who decided to stay with SSC are not happy with the way things are running, claiming that they don’t have enough supplies or manpower to do what they are asked to do.

“I was told earlier that we are functioning and doing a damn good job on a third of the crew that we’re supposed to have,” said a current employee. “Everything they’ve asked us to do, we’ve been able to kill ourselves to get it done.” 

SSC declined a phone or in-person interview on this transition at UNA. 

“It’s just another layer for us with SSC. We have managers on staff, on campus for every shift through SSC,” said Cindy Conlon, Associate Vice President of Facilities and Administrative Planning at UNA. “We didn’t have that as direct managers through UNA.” 

UNA spokesperson, Michelle Eubanks, said, “This move is intended to provide long-term support through enhanced training, updated equipment, and career advancement opportunities. Environmental Services staff perform essential custodial and facilities support duties across campus.”

Who is SSC for Education?

SSC is run by Compass Group, based in the United Kingdom, where its largest investor is the BlackRock hedge fund. 

“The privatization and outsourcing of units on our regional state campus, and the profits that will flow outside of the region to SSC and the Compass Group, are the exact opposite of local investment,” said the letter.

The letter was sent by the State Steering Committee of Alabama, United Campus Workers and the Committee on Civil Rights and Equity, Communication Workers of America (CWA)

The letter covered five reasons that UNA should sever its contract with the company. 

It mentioned how this switch will cost UNA millions in the long run due to rate hikes that other school systems and higher education institutions have experienced.

“[SSC for Education is] just a multinational corporation without a soul,” said Associate Professor Michael Pierce at the University of Arkansas. 

Pierce was crucial in the effort to keep the SSC out of the University of Arkansas. He is a part of the University of Arkansas Education Association. 

SSC told WAFF-48 that the company was excited about the partnership.

“Beginning June 2025, SSC Services for Education is honored to serve the University of North Alabama by providing custodial services that elevate the campus experience… Through this transition, SSC will bring its national expertise, advanced equipment, and proven systems that support a cleaner, healthier environment for students, faculty, and staff. Equally important, we are investing in the people who make this work possible—providing them with the tools, training, and opportunities they need to thrive and grow in their careers. We look forward to becoming an active part of the UNA community and contributing to a vibrant, welcoming campus for all,” said the statement. 

The letter ends by saying that many former UNA employees would return if they severed the contract and returned their state benefits to them.