Union for CMU Facilities shares concerns over university budget
A custodian sign in Moore Hall at Central Michigan University. (CM Life | Blace Carpenter)
The Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, which oversees custodial, facilities, and trade employees at Central Michigan University, expressed concerns about the university’s budget in a press release earlier this month.
Despite concerns about CMU’s recent decline in enrollment, the Director of Labor Services for the FOP Labor Council, David Willis, wrote in a press release that the union is “optimistic” as it moves into union negotiations with the university.
Currently, custodial members earn between $15 and $17 per hour, depending on their shift.
“The Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council is proud to represent the dedicated members of the Facilities Management Staff Association—custodians, landscape maintenance workers, floor care specialists, and skilled trades, including journeyman carpenters, masons and painters,” wrote Willis.
"These professionals work long, often irregular hours to ensure Central Michigan University remains a safe, clean, and welcoming environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.”
In the press release, Willis stated he believes that CMU is facing critical staffing challenges.
“Custodial staff are critical to university operations,” Willis stated. “They foster a safe, hygienic, and welcoming environment that directly impacts student success, health, and the university’s reputation. Yet they remain among the most underappreciated employees in the campus hierarchy.”
In a statement to Central Michigan Life, CMU said it is hoping to find a deal that works for both parties.
"As we prepare to enter good-faith bargaining with our union colleagues, we look forward to engaging in productive dialogue and reaching a mutually agreeable outcome," CMU's spokesperson Ari Harris wrote in a statement.
Low staffing is more than just numbers
Rollie Brown is currently the custodial steward at Towers and covers for other custodial staff if they call in sick or if a situation arises. He has been working at CMU for 11 years.
"You know, we used to have 100 custodians," Brown said. "With our wage, it isn't the best we're behind. And so it's really hard to hire people and keep them here."
He said, including him, there are seven custodians who clean the Towers and around 60 who clean the campus.
“We just want a fair market value wage for all our departments on this campus, not just custodial, but custodial is really behind in their pay compared to other universities,” Brown said.
Sunday through Thursday, starting at 4 a.m., Brown cleans the lobby, some of the classrooms, the fitness center and more. While Brown's shift ends at 12:30 p.m., the shortage of staff causes custodians to frequently work overtime for events.
Brown said if people don't sign up for events, they get mandated. He said sometimes they need around 50 custodial staff members for events, and there are just over 60 available.
Towers Custodian Steward Rollie Brown cleans the Towers Fitness Room at Central Michigan Unviersity during his morning shift on Sunday, March 29, 2026. (CM Life | Blace Carpenter)
Since there are just people to cover the events, he often works on Friday and Saturday for the mandated overtime, which are his days off.
It has been hard hiring new people, Brown said. Many people don’t want to get paid the current wages, or the benefits aren't as important to younger people.
Brown said he is currently staying because of the benefits, such as health insurance and tuition benefits for his children.
He said there also used to be communication meetings every six months with the old management, but there hasn't been one since around 2020.
These communication meetings allowed the custodians to express their needs and input on their jobs, such as shift changes.
“They (upper management) don't worry about what the students want or what we want, which they don't have to, because they run our department,” Brown said.
He said that the reason why the custodial staff, faculty and upper management are at CMU is because of the students.
Brown said the custodians are doing the best with being short-staffed. He said students should tell upper management if they are frustrated, and faculty should speak up for them.
“We just want to be heard and listened to," Brown said.
