Busy summer for students and Sodexo workers

This summer, students and Sodexo workers continued to keep the pressure up toward their employer. Below is a video of the action workers and students came together to take as they seek and end to workplace intimidation and for Sodexo to respect seniority on the job. They marched into Sodexo District Manager John Monica's office but he was (conveniently, yet again) out of the office.

Check it out!

50 Sodexo workers on strike at Loyola and Tulane

On Friday, 50 Sodexo workers from Loyola and Tulane walked off their shifts to protest Sodexo's violations of workers' rights.  The workers cited the Unfair Labor Practices they have filed against Sodexo with the National Labor Relations Board including...

• Firing of Miss Terry Shelly, a vocal supporter of unionization
• Surveillance of employees while they discuss unionization or speak with union representatives
• Interrogation and threats from Sodexo management

The National Labor Relations Act protects workers from firings based on strikes over unfair labor practices, so the Sodexo employees cannot be legally terminated for their work stoppage.

Students from Loyola and Tulane arrived on their campuses as early as 5:00 AM to greet workers as they reported to work for their shifts and subsequently joined the picket line.  Students, workers, and union organizers rallied at Tulane and then marched to Loyola's Danna Student Center where they marched through the building waving picket signs, chanting, and encouraging their co-workers to join the strike.  Several workers took off their aprons, donned "Clean Up Sodexo" shirts, and joined the march to Tulane.  The rally moved across Freret Street and in front of Tulane's cafeteria, Bruff Commons.  Students marched into the cafeteria and made a brief loop inside chanting "No Union? No Peace!  No Contract?  No Peace!  No Justice?  No Peace!" before being removed by Tulane police.  The march continued into the Lavin-Bernic Center (LBC).  Police attempted to block the march from entering the food court area but was ultimately thwarted as marchers continued into the area chanting "TIME FOR A WALKOUT." After brief chanting in the seating area, the march moved back outside and in front of Bruff Commons once again.

The workers continued to pull their co-workers into the strike until the end of the business day.  Sodexo resorted to hiring temporary workers (reportedly at $22/hour) to staff the food service areas.  Bruff was reduced to serving pound cake for breakfast because they had no cook staff.

The striking workers ended the day empowered and energized to continue the struggle for equity and justice in their workplace.

Sodexo sends a form letter to Maroon

The chief Public Relations executive from Sodexo, Alfred King, sent a form letter to the Loyola Maroon that mirrors the rhetoric of Sodexo's open letter to SEIU's Andy Stern: denial of union busting, denial of poor working conditions, assertions of intra-union conflict as the driving force behind SEIU's campaign.  Perhaps Sodexo should spend more time listening to workers' complaints and less time running their propaganda in student newspapers.

Sodexo speaks out in self defense
The Loyola Maroon
Thursday, April 22, 2010

Dear Editor:

Sodexo proudly serves students at local public schools and universities in New Orleans. Lately, we’ve come under attack from the Service Employees International Union. SEIU is organizing student and employee activity on the campuses of Tulane and Loyola Universities based on false allegations about our business. The New Orleans community deserves an accurate picture of Sodexo.

SEIU is competing with other unions, including UNITE HERE, to organize various sectors of the labor force. SEIU’s actions in New Orleans are part of a smear campaign to force Sodexo to deal with the SEIU to the exclusion of other unions.

SEIU’s allegations are directed at Sodexo in the context of their inter-union fight. These issues are not about either Tulane or Loyola.

Sodexo is a great place to work, and was recognized this year as one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies, World’s Most Ethical companies by Ethisphere and Working Mother’s best companies for hourly workers. We’re proud of these and other honors because our employees are critical to our success...  (Continued)

Students write President Wildes, demand labor code & first right of recall

Students wrote to President Kevin Wildes, S.J. today to demand that Loyola takes a stance in support of workers' rights on our campus.  The administration has made clear their stated policy as articulated by Vice President M.L. "Cissy" Petty that, "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."  

Loyola has made a conscious effort to avoid entering the ongoing dispute between Sodexo and its employees.  The administration has stood by while Sodexo has fired pro-union workers, intimidated its employees, and engaged in surveillance all in violation of federal law.  The students have decided that it is time for Loyola to ensure that campus workers have a truly free and neutral environment in which they can made decisions regarding unionization. That requires Loyola to take active steps to ensure that neutrality can exist on campus. Loyola University has failed to recognize that neutrality is not the same as passivity.

The students wrote in their letter that they have two demands:

1. Loyola must address the ongoing abuses of campus workers' rights by implementing the provided Campus Labor Code of Conduct by the start of the Fall 2010 academic year.
2. In order to protect the currently employed Sodexo workers at Loyola, President Wildes must encourage Sodexo to adopt a "first right of recall" policy whereby all workers currently employed by Sodexo will be given first preference when rehiring workers in the Fall.

A student hand-delivered the following documents to President Wildes as he was walking through the Peace Quad.  To ensure delivery, they were also emailed to President Wildes.

• A letter calling Loyola's administration to protect workers' rights
• A petition with over 600 student signatories supporting the rights of campus workers to organize without intimidation
• A Campus Labor Code of Conduct 

We await a response from the President.

Maroon reports on unionization efforts

Finally the campaign for workers' rights at Loyola has hit the Maroon.  Read the articles below!

State of the Union
The Loyola Maroon

By PRECIOUS ESIE Assistant News Editor

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Loyola University’s Sodexo workers are trying to form a union to ensure a “shield of protection” for their jobs.

Sodexo, Loyola’s food service provider for over 20 years, is one of the world’s largest catering and facilities management companies. Not only do some employees on campus say they believe some of the company’s practices are unfair, but also employees across the nation.

Some American workers protested the staff policy  Jan. 25 at the company’s annual, general meeting in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, a suburb of Paris.

Several Loyola workers said they believe forming a union is the best option to secure their jobs and guarantee better treatment...  (Continued)

The paper also ran an article about Terry Shelly's termination

Employee says union caused termination
The Loyola Maroon

By CRAIG MALVEAUX Senior Staff Writer

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Terry Shelly, a former Sodexo cashier in the Orleans Room, said Sodexo terminated her from her job on grounds of “theft,” but she says the reason for her firing is only a cover-up.

Shelly said that about two weeks ago, she allowed a Loyola University Police Department officer and two young men to enter the cafeteria without paying for their meals. She doesn’t deny what happened, but instead said her supervisors are unreasonably singling her out because of her role in trying to unionize dining employees, which she feels led to her termination.

 “I think I’m a target because of my role in the union,” she said. “When I first walked in the office that day, the first thing they commented was the union. They know I’m a strong person and that the students like me.”...   (CONTINUED)