Some university students have picked a side in the Sodexo employees and university facilities workers’ push for better working conditions. Last Tuesday, the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) and the organization Local 217, a labor union that represents over 300,000 working people, hosted a Student Solidarity event outside Bartels Hall and the Marketplace.
Before the event, a petition that supported the workers gained more than 300 signatures.
Isadora Milanez, a leader of Local 217, organized the event and said she would “start off with what we have from the petition and you can all think about what it is you would like to say.” She summarized union goals of achieving greater equality and opportunity and said, “there should not be an issue with hard-working employees wanting what is due, especially when the school is making [money] and the surrounding universities are giving their employees so much more.”
“Give them a raise,” Milanez said. “They are more than deserving of it, always so sweet and kind, always doing their job.”
Cheers and chants rose from the audience after Milanez’s speech. The crowd grew as more employees and bystanders stopped to observe the event.
Call-and-response chants such as “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!” erupted in the crowd of 30 people especially among employees gathered to speak at the event. Other calls such as “Union, Power!” and “No Justice, No Peace” were heard from the crowd as they voiced their opinion on the matter.
Several students spoke, including Lauren Kachmarsky. She started her speech by complimenting facilities workers and she shared that in her sophomore year “The heat broke on the top floor of Winchester Hall and we were in the corner, it was cold, and they [facility workers] went out of their way to get us heaters,” Kachmarsky said. “Even now, we know that if we have an issue, it would take someone at most a half hour to fix it. They’re always great, explaining everything to us.”
“…They should absolutely be getting a fair contract as soon as possible,” Kachmarsky said.
Several workers shared several experiences and how long they had been working with Sodexo. The shortest time working with Sodexo was a couple of months and some have been a part of the Sodexo and facilities community for two decades.
Mason Smith, YDSA’s president, said, “The student turnout means so much to me. You heard all those stories today about how we rely on these people, how we rely on these fine folks that work for us day in and day out.
“Oftentimes these people that are working for us, they have to try to manage to put food on their table as well. The fact that they continue to come and work here, knowing that they can get a better deal from this university. They still choose to provide for us; and still care for our students.”
Anabelle Davis, YDSA treasurer, said support came after the union reached out to them.
“We are so proud to work alongside them and to represent equality throughout this university. These people, who are constantly there for us, are the backbone of this university,” said Davis. “They deserve so much more than they are given and I am just proud to be a part of this move.”
