As of August 1, all AMS Security employees have been laid off and placed on recall — effectively eliminating security patrols of the AMS Student Nest.
Until yesterday, AMS Security was responsible for patrolling the Nest — a task which involved walking from floor to floor and checking each room or space within the building. While they no longer have those same responsibilities, AMS Security is still available for event shifts, which will continue to be scheduled as needed or requested.
“The only difference is that we're removing patrols because they have become less relevant in this building with the live stream cameras, open concept,” said Ava Nasiri, AMS president.
Cuts to AMS Security were made for two main reasons — divergence from its original goals and cost saving.
When AMS Security was first established as a department within the AMS, it was intended to meet campus student groups’ need for event security and to provide students with jobs.
“With all of our outlets, with all of our positions, you will see that there is a prioritization of hiring students,” said Nasiri.
As AMS Security evolved, however, their role shifted to include a presence in the Old SUB, and then the Nest. Given that shifts are distributed based on seniority and availability, non-students were given the majority of the hours and shifts.
“Of those 19 security guards being laid off, over 50 per cent of them don't even get shifts,” said Nasiri.
The elimination of building patrol will also allow the AMS to save approximately $300,000 a year.
“This is an overhead or an annual saving,” said Nasiri. “Every single year, the AMS will continue to save this amount of money and that money will become available for us to use on other more urgent and more necessary services to students.”
“[It] would be financially irresponsible of us (a) to continue subsidizing a service that no longer meets its original mandate and (b) to immediately jump to a conclusion and say, ‘Okay, we have $300,000. This is where we're going to plug it in,’” said Nasiri.
MoveUP, the union representing AMS Security, remains certain that these layoffs are unnecessary.
“First of all, the security guards in the Nest give students a feeling of security so [the students] can feel relaxed, safe and be okay with being there,” said Lori Mayhew, MoveUP's secretary-treasurer. “Second of all, if UBC decides that there are security needs in the Nest, UBC will send in Campus Security and then charge the AMS for that service. So any cost savings that might be realized by laying these people off is negated by that.”
Hudhaifah Zahid, who worked for AMS Security and also volunteers as MoveUP’s job steward, asserts that the removal of building patrol will be detrimental to student safety.
“I believe security is not given the credit it deserves and the AMS is mistaken for not allocating a services budget to it,” said Zahid in a written statement to The Ubyssey. “I have personally prevented two cases of ‘sex under the influence of alcohol’ within the Nest. Without building security, club rooms unfortunately become the private places students want them to be.”
He adds that in his personal experience, there was a deficit of AMS Security employees before a recent budget cut in March.
“In March when the budget cuts came in, all building shifts were halved and guards were stretched — but we still did it because we wanted to help the AMS recover their costs,” said Zahid.
Nasiri is unaware of the budget cuts that he is referring to, but adds that shifts were normally decreased during the summer months when the Nest has less foot traffic.
Looking to the future, there is no strict plan for what will be done with the money saved. According to Nasiri, these cuts were made alongside many other changes — such as the opening of the Gallery and P.H. Tea, and the closing of the Perch and the Lowercase Cafe — that are meant to ensure that students are getting as much “bang for [their] buck” as they possibly can.
“With the ever-changing student body, it would be impossible for us to say that this is exactly what we're doing and this is how we're going to do it forever. We have to consistently review and renew the services that we're providing,” she said.