Careful decisions

By Editorial

So much for getting it right the first time.

A lot could have been said about the state of campus workers in the past several weeks, especially if certain student organizations would have simply had a clear understanding of the situation facing custodial employees before deciding to taking action.

A resolution passed two weeks ago by the student senate, while ostensibly in favor of campus workers, was too watered down in its language as a result of inadequate knowledge on the subject to take a clear position.

The resolution did present some clear recommendations, but took no final definitive stance on the subject of outsourcing positions once held by Santa Clara custodial employees to employees of Diversified Maintenance Services.

Senate Chair Andrea Barrack told The Santa Clara last week that she would have appreciated it if senators would take "more time to consider the issue once they got some easily attainable administrative information on the subject" before they voted.

Whether or not contracting the custodial staff out to a company whose employees receive lesser wages and benefits than university employees is an ethical decision for a Jesuit university is a valid question to pursue.

However, an adequate understanding of the issues from all sides is necessary before coming to any official conclusion on the subject.

It is commendable that SCCAP and other organizations are concerned with the plight of workers on campus; there is considerable validity to their concerns.

But failing to adequately research the situation, analyze both sides of the conflict and pass a resolution that takes a specific stance on the issue calls into question the credibility of the organizations representing the undergraduate community.