Barnes and Noble has stipulated in a contract for when they take control of the bookstore. The number of people employed would be reduced from five to three, resulting in a layoff. As of last Friday, the lease agreement with Barnes and Noble had not been signed.

“It is still en route, and I expect it back within three to four days,” Mike Davis, director of Purchasing, said.

The lease that Barnes and Noble and the University agreed to states that within 60 days of the signing date, the University will eliminate 2 of the Civil Service employees, or people that are employed by the state, Davis said.

“The layoff will happen in March, basically, to give us an opportunity to follow all of the Civil Service rules and regulations on notifying employees,” Ronnie Boudreaux, director of Human Resources, said.

“Once the agreement is signed, we have 60 days from the date of the execution of the contract to make it happen.”

Under the arrangement the University currently has with Barnes and Noble, bookstore employees are employed by the University and are working for Barnes and Noble. The University pays employee salaries and benefits. Barnes and Noble reimburses that sum to the University, Davis said.

“Barnes and Noble, I am sure, is looking at it from a business standpoint and things that they do at other bookstore outlets at other universities,” Davis said.

When going through a layoff of Civil Service employees, there are certain procedures that must be followed, Boudreaux said.

“Based on seniority, these employees that will be displaced, will be able to be placed somewhere else on this campus,” Boudreaux said.

He said they are not losing their jobs, but merely being placed into a different department on campus. These employees will also be given displacement offers.

Under Civil Service rules these employees can accept the offer, or the offer can be declined.

“We cannot tell them, or anybody at this time, what those offers will be,” Boudreaux said.

Employees were made aware that a layoff was forth coming in a memo sent out to all departments Jan. 15, which satisfied the requirements of Civil Service Rules. The impending layoff will be effective March 29.

Nicholls was required to make a layoff plan to be approved by the director of Civil Service.

“The plan has been drawn up. It has not been submitted to Civil Service yet. We will probably submit it to Civil Service by Jan. 29,” Boudreaux said.

Although the lease has not been signed, under Civil Service rules, the University is required to take the necessary steps as soon as they are notified that there may be an impending layoff situation.

Boudreaux did say that this will have a minimal impact on the staff, and that they are only talking about a minimal amount of positions.

“We are looking at the rights of our Civil Service employees who will be affected, and any employees,” he said.

Workers in the bookstore were contacted, and as of press time, had no comment on the situation.