The clerical workers' union at the University of Minnesota will hold a protest Friday against the recent job cuts before the Board of Regents. "It's time to stop chopping from the bottom and start chopping from the top," Cherrene Horazuk, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3800 (AFSCME), said.

The union will urge the university to reconsider their decision to slash employment of 25 people belonging to the Office of Information Technology.

The university said that the layoffs were made due to the changes in information technology industry.

Melanie Steinman, chief steward of AFSCME Local 3800, alleged that the employees "were given their layoff notices and told to leave on the spot. These employees were not thanked for their service. Instead, many were escorted out of the building as plain-clothed police observed."

On their part, the university said that "this unfortunate situation was handled with sensitivity, consistency among employees and compassion."

The university spokesman Chuck Tombarge stated that the employees "met with their manager and a representative from Human Resources, who sincerely thanked them for their service and assured them that the layoff was not a result of their performance."