Wisconsin Union officials denied allegations of student- worker mistreatment Thursday, after a group of students sent a letter to the Offices of the Dean of Students alleging management has deteriorated the vision of Memorial Union.
Thirty-three current and former Union employees sent the letter, which expressed displeasure"" with the new direction of Union Assistant Director for Facilities Paul Broadhead, who began working at the Union in spring 2007, the letter said.
The students said they represented the Building Services unit - overseen by Broadhead - as well as from the Rathskeller, Stiftskeller, Daily Scoop and building managers.
The students wrote the working environment at the Union is ""completely different to that of the Memorial Union of the past."" Broadhead was accused of assigning employees tasks not listed in their job description.
""We fear that the Memorial Union is going to lose the student voice that carried it into prominence and importance for many organizations and students on this campus,"" the letter said.
In response to the letter, Wisconsin Union Director Mark Guthier said of more than 700 student workers, the 33 students who chose to sign the letter represent less than 5 percent of the student staff employed by the Wisconsin Union.
All Wisconsin Union employees work in many different units at more than 10 campus buildings, including Ingraham Deli at Ingraham Hall and Open Book Cafe at College Library, among others.
""To allow the thoughts and feelings of a few unhappy employees to misrepresent the hard work of hundreds of students is unfortunate,"" Guthier said.
According to Guthier, the primary issue for the Union is to fix facility problems vocalized by UW-Madison students, faculty, staff and Union members.
Guthier said to make Union buildings cleaner, customer service better, set up rooms properly for events and improve food options, ""[This] means changing how [the Union] did things before.""
""While a few people may not like changes in their work schedules and patterns, the focus has been on the needs of the greater student body, campus community and Union membership, who have articulated that desire for us to improve in the areas mentioned.""
Guthier said some of the changes have not been easy.
Marc Kennedy, Wisconsin Union communications director, said the Union does not plan to internally investigate the letter's allegations of unfair treatment from Broadhead.
""We can't change our entire management structure because some people have gone public with some of their gripes,"" Kennedy said.
""We have to do our best to make sure that the student segregated fee dollars that we receive are spent wisely.""
John Barnhardt, Wisconsin Union president and UW-Madison senior, said the Union will not ignore the allegations, but ""it was pretty difficult to pinpoint any specific problems with [Broadhead's] management.""
""We'll take a look at the concerns that were outlined ... It would be my understanding that if it was a problem, we'd be hearing it from a few more people.""
Both Kennedy and Barnhardt said they did not understand why the letter was sent to the dean of students' office, adding there are ways to address Union supervisors about employment issues.
""If someone got fired for theft, their opinion I don't think has much validity,"" Kennedy said, referring to five employees who were charged for embezzling nearly $15,000 from the union.
The students did not specify in the letter what they wished the outcome of the matter to be. Student union employees did not return calls by press time or refused to go on the record.
The students sent the letter to Assistant Dean of Students Suzanne Jones on Wednesday. Jones refused to comment on whether or not the ODOS will react to the situation.
