150 SW 13th Avenue, Miami, FL  33135
Phone  (786) 264-1708; Fax  (786) 264-1859
Faith Leaders Speak Out
Joint Statement from Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida & SFIWJ

February 25, 2010

We applaud Nova Southeastern University for giving the people of South Florida the gift of this
week’s visits by two extraordinary men of faith--Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai
Lama. The lives and words of these two Nobel laureates challenge us all to dedicate ourselves,
as they have, to the creation of a more just and peaceful world.

We hope that Nova’s welcome to these two giants of the worldwide struggle for human rights
will inspire the university itself to a greater concern for the rights of its own employees. In
the Fall of 2006, housekeeping, landscaping, and maintenance workers on Nova's campus
organized and won a union under their contractor, Unicco. In early 2007, Unicco's contract was
terminated, effectively firing 108 employees.

When the workers applied for jobs with the new contractor, TCB Systems, approximately one-
third were not rehired with many being told that they should "talk to the union for a job." The
workers filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Nova and the contractor and in late
2009, the National Labor Relations Board ruled against Nova and found that TCB unlawfully
failed to recognize and bargain with SEIU.  

We do recognize that institutions, like people, evolve and are hopeful that when Archbishop
Tutu discusses "Human Rights or Humans Wronged," his contribution to Nova's 2009-2010
academic theme of "Good and Evil," it will be an opportunity for Nova to right this past wrong
and be the exemplary institution that we know they can be.

Jeanette Smith, SFIWJ

Archdeacon Fritz Bazin, Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida