President Wildes announces committee on labor

The following email was sent by Loyola's President Kevin Wildes, S.J. via campus-wide email to announce the creation of a new committee to address workers' rights on campus. 

From: Kevin Wildes (wildesk@loyno.edu)

To: student (student@loyno.edu)

Date: Mon, April 19, 2010 at 10:23 AM

Subject: Sodexo update

Dear members of the Loyola University community, 

In recent weeks there has been a lot of campus discussion about our contract with Sodexo and the efforts of the Service Industry Employee Union to organize the Sodexo workers. 

On this issue, I remain committed to the position that the workers are free to unionize if they so choose. In January, Dr. Petty, vice president for student affairs and associate provost wrote: “As a Catholic, Jesuit university, Loyola recognizes the right of employees to organize. Whatever Sodexo and its employees decide to do regarding collective bargaining, the university will support them in their decision.” I remain committed to that position. 

The discussions of the past few weeks have helped me to see that we need to have a clear, succinct policy on the business practices of our vendors. As a Catholic and Jesuit institution, we are committed to providing fair and competitive compensation packages and working conditions for all university employees and full-time contract workers who provide services on our campuses. While we can and do carefully monitor wages and working conditions for our employees, we do not have a clear policy framework for all the companies with which we do business. 

I am establishing a university-wide committee to review our current policies, along with the best practices, for our contracts with vendors. I will ask the University Faculty Senate, the Administrative Senate, the Student Government Association, and the Student Bar Association each for a representative to serve on the committee. The committee will also have a representative from the Office of Mission and Ministry. I have asked Tommy Screen, my assistant for government relations, to chair the committee. 

I will ask them to work, next year, to develop a clear articulation of our current policies and make recommendations to me for areas that are not covered. I will review the recommendations and make whatever decisions are necessary to move us forward. 

Several of the students who raised questions about Sodexo pointed to the example of Georgetown University which has developed a clear policy for their vendors. Indeed they have. The process to develop that policy took almost a year of careful study and dialogue. But it has left the university in a better place with its vendors. I think that this exercise will leave Loyola in a better place aligned with your identity and mission and I want to thank those, particularly the students, who raised this question for us.

With prayers and best wishes,

Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D.

President