Pierce College recently hired five new custodians, with the approval of the Los Angeles Community College District, in order to improve cleanliness and offer additional help on campus.
Operations Manager Rodney Allen said that though the employees are in a trial period, there has been an outstanding change on campus so far.
“There is a six-month probation that they are required to go through, but they have definitely already made an impact,” Allen said.
Allen also outlined the vast array of tasks that these custodians are entrusted with, such as the upkeep of classrooms and restrooms, campus maintenance and event preparation.
“It’s a lot to do. We have been short for so long. As operations manager, I’m very grateful for them bringing on these new positions,” Allen said.
With more custodians now at Pierce, Allen said they are now able to form a buddy system when faced with difficult tasks.
“These five new positions allow us to start team-cleaning. A crew will go together to do things such as strip floors and clean air vents,” Allen said.
Pierce theater major, Sean Gassaway, has also noticed an improvement on campus since the start of the spring semester.
“I see a lot less garbage around the campus as a whole,” said Gassaway. “I really think that the custodial staff is doing a great job.”
Despite the improvement so far, Gassaway has also seen areas on campus that may require more attention.
“Some of the bathrooms need work. I’ve seen them trashed a couple of times. I think the amount of custodial workers they have is insufficient to clean the campus effectively. They try as hard as they can but it’s just not enough,” said Gassaway.
Director of Facilities Paul Nieman said that we have a cleaner campus overall, but that many of the custodians hired have been replacements.
“We are still trying to get our numbers to where they need to be,” Nieman said.
Allen expressed gratitude toward his staff and said the new hires will help his department run more smoothly.
“No matter what job we have, we don’t do it alone. These five people make my job easier,” Allen said. “Sure it’s more to manage, but I’m happy to do it.”
