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Workers rally outside the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida on April 29, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\nWorkers rally outside the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida on April 29, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been about a year and a half since the University of South Florida in Tampa unilaterally privatized<\/a> hundreds of blue-collar jobs at the school, stripping workers of their state pension plans and outsourcing their jobs to a private contractor.\u00a0<\/p>\n Affected workers previously told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that they were given no notice of the change in employment ahead of time, but were promised that their benefits and pay would remain stable\u2014save for the attractive pension plan that had drawn many of them to their government jobs in the first place.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, the workers say their new employer\u2014the Southeast Services Corporation (SSC)\u2014is failing to live up to their commitments.<\/p>\n Several dozen SSC workers and community allies rallied just outside of the USF campus last Wednesday, protesting against low wages and out-of-reach healthcare, while fighting for a fair union contract.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so many broken promises that have already taken place,\u201d Onex Cortez, a maintenance technician of about four years at USF, told CL. \u201cEverybody\u2019s tired of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Originally from New York City, Cortez moved south several years ago and was drawn to the job at USF because of the state retirement plan\u2014a pull he no longer has access to since USF outsourced his job to SSC. Based out of Knoxville, Tennessee, SSC is a higher education subsidiary of the multinational Compass Group<\/a>, a private contractor that generates tens of billions of dollars in revenue annually<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have families. A lot of us are staring down, you know, looking down the barrel of retirement,\u201d said Cortez, who\u2019s in his 40s. It\u2019s his job to help ensure the university\u2019s buildings have running water and that everything in the campus\u2019s common areas and residential buildings remain in working order.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re fed up,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n Originally announced as a \u201ccost cutting\u201d move, USF privatized roughly 400 largely blue-collar jobs, including Cortez\u2019s, at the university in October 2024, shortly after the state decertified\u2014or effectively dissolved\u2014their former union, affiliated with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.<\/p>\n A small group of these workers quickly reorganized<\/a> with the International Union of Operating Engineers, voting overwhelmingly to unionize through the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that oversees labor relations in the private sector.<\/p>\n But Cortez is one of hundreds more who reorganized with the labor union, 32BJ SEIU<\/a>, which represents more than 185,000 workers across the country, including contracted employees at the Tampa International Airport.\u00a0<\/p>\n At USF, the newly unionized workers with 32BJ are currently negotiating a first contract with SSC, a contractor the union has negotiated contracts with elsewhere. Union leaders admitted that in this case, however, they\u2019ve encountered resistance at the bargaining table in Tampa.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just money right now,\u201d said 32BJ SEIU Florida District Director Helene O\u2019Brien, a 35-year organizer who\u2019s spent the last decade<\/a> organizing to build worker power in the U.S. South.\u00a0<\/p>\n She, and other workers CL spoke to, said that SSC has effectively created a two-tier system since the privatization overhaul at USF, hiring new staff who are paid a lower wage, receive less paid time off, and are offered much costlier health insurance plans. \u201cSo many of them just decline health care altogether, because it\u2019s premium-sharing, it\u2019s high deductible, it\u2019s copay \u2014 it\u2019s crap,\u201d O\u2019Brien said bluntly.<\/p>\n It bothers the former state employees, described by SSC as \u201ctransitional\u201d employees, too.<\/p>\n \u201cI work with some of these guys that are kind of like the newer guys, right, that came in, you know, getting paid less than us,\u201d Cortez said. \u201cIt\u2019s unfair to them. It\u2019s just not right.\u201d<\/p>\n A SSC spokesperson told CL in a statement that their staff \u201care an important part of the work we do every day to support USF students, faculty, staff, and the broader campus community.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs we continue delivering the services that help the campus operate smoothly, we remain focused on maintaining a positive, supportive environment for our associates,\u201d they continued. \u201cWe will continue discussions through the established bargaining process and remain committed to negotiating in good faith with the Union to reach an agreement that is fair to all.\u201d<\/p>\n Amping up the pressure at USF protest<\/p>\n The SSC workers and community allies rallied just outside of the USF campus last Wednesday in support of negotiating a union contract that guarantees higher wages, equitable paid time off for new hires, and affordable healthcare.\u00a0<\/p>\n They were joined by representatives of the West Central Florida Labor Council and the USF graduate assistant workers\u2019 union, Graduate Assistants United, in addition to Tampa city councilman Luis Viera\u2014a candidate for the Florida House<\/a>\u2014plus Tampa city councilwoman Lynn Hurtak, who\u2019s running for Tampa mayor.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThese are working class service workers\u2014in speaking with them, many are from Cuba or Venezuela,\u201d Viera later wrote in a social media post. \u201cI was proud to stand with these good people.\u201d<\/p>\n According to O\u2019Brien, economic proposals, such as wage increases and healthcare, are the primary sticking points at the bargaining table with SSC. The union is asking for a 6% raise for workers\u2014since most workers haven\u2019t received a raise since their jobs were outsourced in 2024\u2014while SSC has offered a measly 1.5% raise in response.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe that\u2019s an insult to everybody,\u201d said Juan Pena, an electrician of eight years at USF who spoke to CL shortly after the rally. He and his wife both work at USF, with her working as a janitor. Like Cortez, Pena was also initially drawn to the job for the formerly-guaranteed state pension plan, to help him plan for retirement. Now, they\u2019re stuck with a 401k.<\/p>\n As for the wage offer from his employer, Pena\u2019s not impressed. A 1.5% pay raise would provide just a $0.23 raise for a worker making $15 an hour at the university. \u201cThat is nothing,\u201d Pena argued.<\/p>\n Still, O\u2019Brien said that affordable healthcare is the main issue weighing on the minds\u2014and pockets\u2014of union members. Although SSC committed to keeping the former state employees on good healthcare plans, their new plans have still proven more expensive, she said, saddling workers and their families with higher out-of-pocket costs.<\/p>\n That includes Pena, who has a chronic health condition that requires him to get bloodwork done regularly. While he previously had no copay for that bloodwork under his former state insurance plan, his current plan\u2014through SSC\u2014now requires a $39+ minimum copay each time, which he said is difficult to shell out on his current income, since he hasn\u2019t received any adjustment to his pay to offset the added cost.<\/p>\n Luz Estella Palacio Amaya, another SSC worker at USF, said she was unable to afford tests recommended by her gastroenterologist because she couldn\u2019t afford the $2,000 copay under her new insurance plan. \u201cMy husband needs medication for his heart, blood pressure, and diabetes, and those cost money too,\u201d she said in a statement. \u201cWe give our all to the university community, but what are we getting in return?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien said many workers relied on their former state plans for affordable healthcare coverage, not just for themselves, but to take care of their families. With major cost spikes hitting plans through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace\u2014following the expiration of expanded tax subsidies last year\u2014workers now have fewer alternative, affordable options if they can\u2019t afford the health insurance or copays under what they receive from their employer. That\u2019s especially true for the lower-tier workers hired after SSC took over.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not asking for anything outrageous or outlandish or, like, extravagant,\u201d Cortez argued. \u201cWe\u2019re just asking for a fair contract for all of our employees, not just the transitional.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Without anything in a contract and a union enforcing it, you can lose everything\u2018<\/p>\n 32BJ SEIU Florida District Director Helene O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n For workers like Cortez and Pena, seeing their jobs outsourced\u2014and later protesting changes to their benefits, made after the fact\u2014wasn\u2019t exactly in the cards.\u00a0<\/p>\n But USF had an easier time making this decision behind closed doors once the workers no longer had a union to look out for their collective best interests or guarantee job protections under an enforceable union contract.<\/p>\n Blue-collar maintenance, electrical, and white-collar non-instructional workers at USF first voted to unionize with AFSCME in 2004, according to state records. But after Florida lawmakers passed a controversial anti-union law (SB 256) in 2023<\/a>\u2014designed to undermine and destroy the state\u2019s teachers unions\u2014many other public blue-collar workers across the state, including workers at USF, saw their own unions decertified as collateral damage.<\/p>\n The law required more workers represented by the union to pay dues\u2014 a voluntary decision under the state\u2019s \u2018right to work<\/a>\u2019 law\u2014while similarly making it harder for them to do so. Without union representation, workers were also left without an enforceable union contract. USF\u2019s decision to outsource their jobs was announced within mere months of their union\u2019s dissolution.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter where you work\u2014especially when working in an industry that\u2019s easily outsourced\u2014without anything in a contract and a union enforcing it, you can lose everything,\u201d O\u2019Brien pointed out. \u201cThese workers really are the cautionary tale for every public employee in Florida who is not doing what it needs to do to protect the union.\u201d<\/p>\n State records show that more than 120 unions<\/a> across the state have been decertified since the 2023 law\u2014a priority of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis\u2014took effect. The law, largely excluding police and firefighter unions, was praised by anti-union groups that have found themselves allied with both the DeSantis and Trump administrations. Those relationships ultimately helped the same groups successfully lobby for the passage of a follow-up law (SB 1296<\/a>) this year that will make it even harder for public sector unions in Florida to survive.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see where that leads,\u201d O\u2019Brien said. \u201cThat leads to workers losing their pension, losing their health care, losing their paid time off, and you know, in a drive for so-called efficiency,\u201d she said, referencing efforts by the state and Trump administration to downsize and eliminate government \u201cwaste.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly the bottom of the ladder has to be efficient,\u201d O\u2019Brien clarified. \u201cPeople at the top can do whatever they want.\u201d<\/p>\n Cortez, a maintenance worker with more than 20 years of experience in his industry, admitted that when his coworkers first formed a union with 32BJ SEIU last summer, he was initially indifferent. He wasn\u2019t that interested in getting involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n Only about 6% of workers in Florida even have union representation, after all\u2014leaving many largely uninformed about the potential benefits<\/a>\u2014and having a union is even less common in the private sector.<\/p>\n \u201cAll I had to do was attend one union meeting,\u201d Cortez recalled. \u201cImmediately I was just kind of sucked in.\u201d As he spoke to his coworkers, and listened to their stories, \u201cIt really hit me,\u201d he said. \u201cI was like, man\u2014something, somebody gotta do something, you know? We can\u2019t just sit around.\u201d<\/p>\n Considering his initial indifference, Cortez admitted he was a bit surprised by where he is today in the union\u2019s fight for a fair contract. \u201cI can\u2019t believe how I went from\u2014not very long ago\u2014from not interested at all, to just like on the front lines of fighting this battle.\u201d<\/p>\n Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.<\/a><\/p>\n Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0BlueSky<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729400_511_USF-SEIU-12.jpg\")
Onex Cortez outside the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida on April 29, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729400_764_USF-SEIU-7.jpg\")
Helene O\u2019Brien alongside workers rallying outside the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida on April 29, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729401_802_USF-SEIU-1.jpg\")
Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729401_635_USF-SEIU-3.jpg\")
Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729401_251_USF-SEIU-4.jpg\")
Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729401_850_USF-SEIU-5.jpg\")
Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729402_480_USF-SEIU-8.jpg\")
Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729402_655_USF-SEIU-9.jpg\")
Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729402_797_USF-SEIU-10.jpg\")
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Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729403_320_USF-SEIU-14.jpg\")
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Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729403_988_USF-SEIU-19.jpg\")
Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729403_956_USF-SEIU-20.jpg\")
Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729404_949_USF-SEIU-21.jpg\")
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Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729404_956_USF-SEIU-24.jpg\")
Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729404_836_USF-SEIU-27.jpg\")
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Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777729405_748_USF-SEIU-31.jpg\")
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Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n