Dozens march against outsourcing

Signs that read, "What would Herman Do?" abounded outside Assembly Hall on Saturday as union workers and their supporters rallied against outsourcing University services by invoking the name of former IU President Herman B Wells. \nAbout 50 protestors braved the cold and collected signatures for a petition calling on the IU board of trustees to "end all efforts to outsource IU jobs," according to the petition's text. Several trustees have said during the past few weeks that although nothing is certain yet, they believe contracting some University services could help cut nonacademic costs. \nDave Warrick, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 62, disagrees with the trustees' entire premise that contracting will save money. \n"What's cheaper?" he asked. "If you cut your own lawn or pay someone else to do it?"\nBefore the rally, members of both the council and the Communication Workers of America Local 4730 congregated at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington. Union leaders and politicians, including Indiana state Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Elletsville, aroused the crowd, saying this was a winnable fight.\n"It's a shame that IU would even think about doing this to the employees who have been loyal to this institution," Warrick said. "But we are not going to stand for it, are we?"\nSeveral people at the rally said they saw the situation as something that extended beyond Bloomington, and that there was a similar fight going on throughout the state. \n"There are people all over the state who are worried about the trend," Simpson said. "Because it isn't just you. It isn't just the motor pool or the bookstore in Bloomington, Indiana." \nSo far, the IU Bookstore and the IU Motor Pool are the only University sectors accepting bids from outside corporations. A vote on whether to privatize the motor pool could come as early as the next trustee business meeting, which is slated for Feb. 1. \nFollowing the speakers, protestors moved from the church to Assembly Hall, where they encouraged people headed to the IU-Michigan men's basketball game to support their cause -- gathering petition signatures, handing out pamphlets and promoting in-house University operations. \nFor the most part, those passing by appeared curious yet confused about what exactly the protesters hoped to achieve. \n"They really got my attention," said Kathryn Lee, a freshman who did not sign the petition. "But I didn't really know what it was about." \nPart of the reason for this confusion, some protestors said, was because they were restricted by the IUPD to the grassy area away from Assembly Hall's entrance. \nProtester Brenda Grubbs said being confined to an area away from people entering the game was frustrating because it was tougher to get their message out. \nStill, not everyone seemed disinterested in the unions' fight. Several cars honked in approval as they drove by, which brought cheers from protestors. However, some also vocally expressed their distaste for the rally. \nReading a sign that said "Ditch Mitch," in reference to Gov. Mitch Daniels' initiatives to promote outsourcing of many state services, a man dressed in khaki pants and a red sweater mocked the protestors and repeatedly said, "Who's Mitch?" \n"You know exactly who Mitch is," the protester responded.