Vermont college fires grounds crew

By Vermont Cynic

After over three months of uncertainty on the status of their employment, the UVM grounds crew is out.

University Facilities Management allegedly announced the decision to the United Electrical Local 267 Union representative in an email.

The grounds crew currently has nine workers who oversee landscaping, snow removal, salting and plowing of hundreds of acres around campus, according to the University’s website.

UE 267 stated in an email to the Cynic that University officials communicated the reasoning behind replacing the grounds crew with private contractors is to improve efficiencies.

“[This has] been incredibly stressful on us,” stated Karl Suchsland, UE 267 chief steward. “My colleagues are experiencing a lot of mental health issues.”

Suchsland and the other grounds crew staff do not believe the decision was financial, but rather retaliatory, following grievances filed by UE 267 in 2024 in response to alleged bullying from management, he said.

UVM launched an internal investigation last July following the complaints, Suchsland said. Some members of the grounds crew were interviewed and gave accounts of what they reported as abuses by their manager.

“We felt we had a very abusive manager,” Suchsland said. “It got to the point where myself as the chief union steward, started really pressuring HR to come down and speak with us as a group regarding our manager’s misconduct.”

Jacob Martell, a member of the grounds crew, claimed to have experienced similar harassment from management.

“I’ve been personally attacked for my size. I was told not to have a heart attack while I was working,” Martell stated.

Martell stated that a manager, while commenting on his eating, said they wanted to see how many donuts he could fit in his face.

Four months after the investigation, University Facilities Management informed them of a proposal to shut down the department, Suchsland said.

“Prior to that investigation, we were given assurances, even in writing, that the contractors were not going to replace us, no one’s job was in danger,” Suchsland said.

Adam White, Executive Director of University Communications, declined to comment directly on the allegations of toxic management toward the grounds crew because the University does not comment on personnel matters, he said.

UE 267 presented a counter proposal to the University, which they say was intended to prove that retaining the current Grounds Crew was a more financially viable option than dismissing them in favor of a contracted firm.

The grounds crew expected to receive a decision from management about whether the University would proceed with the layoffs, but the decision was delayed.

The university has not officially informed the grounds crew of the decision, but has decided to move forward with the layoffs, stating that the affected workers will be notified soon, Suchsland said.

Concerning the future of the Grounds Crew at UVM, members will have the option of being re-hired in custodial positions, which also means accepting lower pay and going through a new-hire probationary period, Suchsland said.

Terms of the grounds crew's severance package are still being negotiated, Suchsland said. If workers opt for severance, they will be required to waive recall rights, which disqualifies them from being rehired.