President Wildes says he will NEVER meet with Sodexo workers

On Wednesday July 7, fifteen Sodexo workers from Loyola along with their coworkers from Tulane went to Marquette Hall with the goal of meeting with Loyola's President Kevin Wildes, S.J. to address their concerns in their workplace and solicit Wildes' support in their struggle for respect and dignity on the job.

With supportive students in tow, the workers entered the glass waiting area and asked for President Wildes. His administrative assistant appeared instead. One worker spoke up and mentioned the letters they had delivered to Wildes' office in June asking for a meeting - the letters that never elicited a response. Wildes' assistant claimed the letters lacked any contact information to follow up with even though the letters had phone contact information for each worker who wrote a letter.

Just then, Wildes appeared in the lobby area and stood in his office doorway. He yelled to the gathered people:

"Let me make one thing clear: I WILL NEVER MEET WITH THE WORKERS."

Wildes never approached the group. He never introduced himself. He never inquired as to why Sodexo workers were in his office. He immediately launched into an attack on the workers, telling them they need to follow the legal process for forming a union, completely oblivious to the fact that the workers have been complying with the National Labor Relations Act since the day they began considering unionization. Workers have been forming unions by majority sign-up before and after the passing of the NLRA in 1935. Loyola's workers seek access to the same fair and legal process.

To date, President Wildes has never responded to numerous requests from workers to listen to their stories.

This office visit was the first face-to-face interaction many of the workers ever have had with President Wildes. They expressed shock that an ordained priest and president of a Catholic university would treat them with such disdain.

Even without Wildes' support, the workers are continuing their struggle for justice at Loyola and were not deterred.

(Photo by Alan Grunberg)