Clark Workers STRIKE!

On 14 October 2010 Clark Sodexo workers went on strike in demand that their right to unionization be recognized. Clark Sodexo workers were initially presented the possibility of unionization by the Service Employees International Union Local 615 during the winter of 2009-2010. Since then much worker activism has culminated in workers going on strike. Clark workers are demanding a fair and expedient means to unionization, including card check, better wages and health care, and respect on the job.



New England Cable News Coverage.



Telegram and Gazette Coverage

In response Clark workers were given the following letter with their paycheck by General Manager Stu Gerhardt:

We have heard that the SEIU may be calling for an employee strike on other job action sometime later this week. This would follow the unions activity from last Thursday, October 14th, where the union convinced a number of you to engage in a work stoppage by not showing up for work on that date. As you know we have an obligation to Clark University and its students to provide good and valuable service. We cannot miss a day. As a result, we want every employee to come to work as scheduled and work with us to find other solutions to problems that may exist.

Sodexo recognizes that you have the right to engage in protexted activity under the labor laws. We will not interfere with those rights.

However, the law also places limits on the rights of employees to engage in frequent or intermittent strikes and says that employees who engage in intermittent strikes in violation of the rules can lose the protection of the labor laws.

We value each and ever one of you. If you want to talk about these matters. please ask your supervisor or me, and we will follow the unions directions as to what to do, please be sure the union has checked out the law and knows what it is talking about.

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Even though Stu knew that SEIU had no plans for another strike in the immediate future, he found it necessary to threaten employees so as to keep them from building confidence and solidarity in the workplace. If Sodexo did respect food service workers, they would not be engaged in an agressive anti-union campaign that has involved forced audience anti-union presentations, surveillance of workers' meetings, illegal lies about the union, and discriminatorily disciplining pro-union employees.

Clark food service workers continue to fight for a union because collective bargaining is the only means to hold management accountable. It is common practice for employers to give a few more vocal employees a raise or promotion during times of union activism, only to take away those benefits when the threat of the union is gone.

Letter to President Angel 10/13/2010

President Angel,

As you may or may not be aware, Sodexo employees on Clark’s campus announced this morning that they will be striking in the near future and demanding Sodexo’s recognition of a card-check election process, better wages and benefits, and more respect from management, among other things. This event represents a steady progression of unresolved and largely unaddressed issues faced by workers on campus that became public last winter but began long before.

Workers’ problems relating to wages (eg. making less than $10 after more than ten years at Clark even when new hires make $12), benefits (eg. one third of a paycheck going to employer-provided health-care),scheduling (eg. cashiers’ hours being cut while new hires arrive), respect from management (eg. being loudly scolded in front of students and co-workers for a minor error), and favoritism (eg. wage discrepancies for people doing the same job and an all-white management team) have been further compounded by Sodexo’s intimidation and manipulation of workers, particularly pro-union ones (eg. interrupting union meetings, telling workers voting for a union is “signing yourself away” and that they will have to pay for their shoes after getting a union contract). Furthermore, Sodexo has a well-documented history of anti-union policies and tactics (see article: “A Strange Case”, published by Human Rights Watch), as well as an easily observable practice of offering the cheapest contracts due to lower wages and benefits. These problems are ongoing, real, and serious on campus, and so far, save for a guarantee of fall rehire and a letter not even originally intended for any Sodexo employees, nothing public and concrete has been done by Clark to address them.

It has been nearly eight months since these issues were drawn to your attention and a clear set of requests were first brought to you by the Clark Community (refer to Clark UNITE!’s letter of 2/22/10, corresponding student and faculty petitions, and a Labor Code of Conduct). As members of this community, with many of us financing Sodexo’s operations on campus, we are firmly requesting that you immediately take the following steps towards resolutely supporting and ensuring labor rights and dignity for all campus workers, outsourced or not.

1.) Publicly demand that Sodexo, as your subcontractor, accept whatever method of unionization its employees democratically choose, as stipulated in the Labor Code of Conduct.

2.) Organize a meeting between non-management employees working on Clark’s campus, students, faculty and the Clark Administration and Clark’s legal adviser or lawyer to finalize and implement a Labor Code of Conduct within 2 weeks. The meeting should be open to the rest of the Clark Community (see attached contract language regarding labor standards as a supplement to the Labor Code of Conduct topics).

3.) Involve the Clark students and faculty in discussions pertaining to contracts with private firms. Ensure the transparency and accountability of Clark University’s contracts with private firms (including financial information) by making contract-related information open to the public. No serious discussions about where our money is going or how to regulate outsourced operations can take place without knowledge of contract terms and language. In addition, Clark should follow the method of social auditing as used by socially responsible enterprises around the world and audit Sodexo.

4.) The position of a Campus Ombudsman or an equivalent third party committee must be created and institutionalized through policy in order to ensure that issues between employees and their bosses, be they Clark, Sodexo, or employees of another organization, are addressed through an avenue and process run by a third party professional yet empowered by the Clark Administration (see the letter Requesting the Appointment of an Ombudsman). Contracts should be evaluated by the Ombudsman.

5.) Halt any process of creating a policy limiting protesting and free speech on campus. If threatened with sanctions for demonstrating peacefully, we will immediately contact both the media and American Civil Liberties Union.

We expect that your actions will reflect the urgency felt by those workers who have made the serious choice to strike, as well as the urgency of any other situation dealing with human rights violations. Workers now feel that their best path involves putting their livelihoods on the line, and it is our clear duty, as members of the community, to respect their legitimate grievances and push all the more firmly for a real, equitable solution.

We hope to hear a response from you or a representative by the end of Monday the 18th of October, 2010.

Thank you for your time,

Clark Unite!

Clark Workers Speak Out

Pablo Rivera: Utilities

“I have been working for Sodexo six days a week since January 23, 2010. This semester I was forced to quit because I started as a student at Clark’s COPACE program. I told my boss last year that I was going to start taking classes this fall and that my classes might interfere with my work schedule. Even though I told my boss ahead of time I was not given the chance to work around my hours for the two days I have classes. Instead I was forced to choose between getting an education or continuing working the same schedule. As a member of the Clark community I support the union because it gives workers who are having issues and problems in their jobs a chance to talk about it and take action all together. It is more successful when all of us come together instead of fighting individually.”

Trevor Delaparra: Cook

“I am in support for a union because I want for all of us to have access to affordable healthcare and better wages.”

William McNamara: Dishwasher

“I have worked at Clark for 14 years, but last spring I was laid off for the entire semester. Sodexo said that they had to lay me off because there was a lack of work, even though I came to know they hired new workers. I was hired back this year for only two days a week. I currently make only $10 an hour after having work here for more than 14 years. I support the union because I want the workers to have a voice in the workplace. I also think it would help the students and the workers to unite.”

A Global Campaign

Sodexo Workers across United States and around the world are facing the same issues and even more severe right violations and lower working standards by working for this company. SEIU has fostered a national campaign in order to sign a global agreement with Sodexo, in which sodexo workers are able to unionize through the recognition of card check, negotiate strong regional contracts, and improve the working standards of the multi-service industry.

From cafeterias in U.S. universities to remote coal mines in Colombia—in country after country—Sodexo pays wages that are too low to support families – a mere $230 a month in the Dominican Republic and Colombia.

“I was dragged inside of the machine, my smock choking me around the neck. One more minute and I would have been dead. When my co-workers were finally able to pull me out of the vat, I was no longer breathing.” Blanca Bustos, Sodexo worker at the National Chocolate Co., Bogota

When Blanca tried to improve her working conditions by joining a union, Sodexo cancelled her contract.

“I told management that the main reason for our strike was wages, and I was told that for me at least—for me in particular— I was not getting a raise. I was called to the office, and they fired me. They are the ones who are committing injustice. They know the laws of this country, and they don’t respect them.” Carin Mieses, Sodexo Worker, Dominican Republic.

Who is Sodexo?: A Company Profile

Sodexo is a multi-service company that subcontracts work in food service, laundry service, security, and janitors in schools and corporate buildings. They've even dipped their fingers in the prison industrial complex, meaning that they operate private for-profit prisons contracted out with local governments, in Chile, Australia, the UK, and several other EU member nations. Sodexo is huge; they're the 22nd largest employer in the world with over 380,000 employees. As of 2009 Sodexo had a revenue of 20 billion, making them number 437 of the Fortune 500. Because of their size, and the nature of the industries they work in, Sodexo made a billion dollars in profit in 2008, despite the global recession.

In France, Sodexo is the 2nd largest employer after the French government. Sodexo workers in France are all unionized, get 1 month of vacation, and paid sick days. That's a stark difference compared to Sodexo workers in America. For Sodexo workers in Massachusetts, the average wage is $10.16/hr. Because of this, nine out of ten Sodexo workers in Massachusetts qualify for public assistance such as food stamps, WIC, and/or fuel assistance. Furthermore, since US labor law is very weak, Sodexo's workers' right to organize is not respected despite Sodexo's official lip service.

Sodexo has a record of union-busting. In 1998 a manual was leaked ot the International Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE) titled, "Progressive approach to Labor: Union Avoidance," which prescribed threatening employees considering strike that they would be fired for doing so. More recently Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report which documented widespread anti-union captive audience meetings in the USA. In one case in a laundry facility in Phoenix Arizona, after a majority of workers petitioned the NLRB for a union election, Sodexo held many captive audience meetings filled with threats. When several workers from the same shop held a demonstration in favor of unionization, four of them were fired. The report documents managers using the threat of termination of employment if workers cannot, "work as a team." Finally among other abuse, the report documents how during a training management was advised to tell workers:

• The union is allowed to make promises because it doesn't pay your wages. The union's promises are meaningless.
• There are some people who, for their own selfish reasons, have been putting a lot of pressure on many of you…. [T]hese people would manipulate things for their own ends.
• A union is not concerned about job security. It cares only about its security, which means your dues in the union's pocket.
• If you read the newspapers and watch the news, you know how many represented companies have closed their doors in this state and all over the country…. Nearly every labor union contract contains language that provides for the potential of layoffs.
• The company has the legal right to conduct its business and hire permanent economic replacements for every striker…. the company would do what it had to do to ensure business continuity in the event of a strike.
• You may want to ask yourself why some people have been promoting a strike when they know that employees risk being permanently replaced. Ask yourself what they have to gain.

Sodexo has furthermore told management:

• Tell employees that union representatives are manipulators who make meaningless promises and care only about collecting dues. This implicitly brands workers who support the union as dupes or collaborators.
• tell employees "you know how many represented companies have closed their doors in this state and all over the country." This implicitly warns workers that their jobs are at risk if they form a union.
• Sodexo advised managers to tell employees that the company can hire permanent replacements and "would do what it had to do" in the event of a strike, a statement permitted under US labor law, but fraught with menace and contrary to international standards.

As Sodexo workers across the U.S. continue their efforts to form a union in order to win fair and safe working conditions, respect and dignity on the job, and a voice with their employer to create stable, good jobs, HRW's report asserts that Sodexo has threatened, interrogated and fired workers who tried to form a union.

The official stance of the company is that "Sodexo recognizes and respects the rights of our employees to unionize, or not to unionize, as they choose." But as this evidence shows, the anti-union campaign that has been going on at Clark is part of a company wide violation of labor rights. This past spring of 2010, after the SEIU started organizing Clark workers Sodexo had two higher ups from corporate come in and lead a anti-union meeting that workers were told was a mandatory training. During this meeting workers were told that if they signed anything for the union they would be "signing themselves away" and also that workers would be "earning less under a union contract." Both of these lies are protected against under labor law. Clark allowed Sodexo to use Clark premises and even our Media Services to conduct that meeting.

SEIU rally 4/17/10

The Right to Organize at Clark - One step Closer to Being Real!

Dear Clark Community,

Thank you to everyone who took a stand of solidarity with Sodexo workers. Today, we are thrilled to tell the Clark community that Sodexo workers on campus may no longer feel that they have to choose between voicing support for a union, or losing hours, a raise, or even a job.

Next week, Sodexo will notify its employees that all employees who are scheduled and working during the Spring 2010 semester, through May 23rd, will be rehired for the Fall 2010 semester. The fall schedules will be subject to Clark's enrollment being at or very close to this year's level, and the wording of this statement is being finalized now. Now workers know that they will get their jobs back.

Also, starting today, Sodexo will be distributing to its employees copies of President Bassett's statement to the Clark University Community dated April 6th 2010. This memo states that "no workers on the University campus will be subjected to harassment because of their membership or non-membership in a labor union or their activity in support of or derogation of union representation". This is a huge step toward ensuring the right to organize, and a victory for fair treatment of all workers.

The Clark administration has also agreed to a moderated dialogue regarding the Labor Code of Conduct, which would create a policy ensuring that all employees at Clark receive fair treatment and wages. And lastly, Clark has committed to finding an appropriate process for workers to communicate with the Clark administration about grievances they cannot bring to Sodexo management.

The fight is far from over. We know now that workers will keep their jobs, but there are no guarantees that they won't face hours being cut, intimidation, or other reprisals. We need to make sure Clark University adopts a Labor Code of Conduct which is meaningful and just, so that workers still have protection after they are re-hired in the fall. And, once they are rehired, we need to work to ensure that Sodexo remains neutral in workers' choice to unionize.

This has been a long and difficult process that has resulted in valuable lessons for Clark Unite! as a campus organizing group. We understand there are concerns with our past actions, and we do not take them lightly. We encourage your input. We can be reached at clark.unite.solidarity@gmail.com.

Now it is time to raise awareness about Clark's support and to keep the pressure on Sodexo by supporting workers at the Crystal Pond Park rally this Saturday April 17th at 11 am. The rally will be an opportunity to show Sodexo workers and Clark University that we are grateful for this huge step, but that we will stand behind all of the workers as they make demands for a just workplace. The workers and students will always be united.

In Solidarity,

Clark Unite!

Response to Bassett's memo

President Bassett:



We appreciate your statement in support of workers’ rights, specifically the Labor Code of Conduct, and we expect your statement to be the administration’s first step toward a binding labor policy. This policy must be public, official, and sent to all stakeholders at this University, especially and most importantly food service workers. Your letter not only inadequately addresses right to recall and intimidation, but completely ignores a policy of neutrality and current labor violations on campus.

Neutrality means that the university will notify its employees and the employees of its contractors and subcontractors, in writing, that it respects their rights regarding union representation. Further, the university must convey to all employees involved that there will be no negative consequences for exercising their right to support union representation. Many Sodexo workers say they are afraid that they will lose their jobs if they vote for the union. The fact that your statement was not sent to the workers calls into question whether you truly include them as members of our Clark community. We expect the university to communicate with food service workers about these issues, which most directly affect them.


Like your most recent letter to the student body, Sodexo’s public statements to newspapers about right to recall lack any true commitment to enforcing values you claim to uphold. Right to recall must be a policy, not a supposed set of ideals. Furthermore, such a policy when communicated to workers will allow them to openly make a decision that they feel is best for themselves and their families. Due to repeated discrimination against pro-union workers, right to recall must be based solely on seniority. Workers must be offered the same position, follow the same schedule, and work at the same locations. If right to recall is already policy, as Jim Collins repeatedly stated in our last meeting and as you claim in your most recent letter, there should be no qualms with enforcing the policy publicly and transparently by both Clark administration and Sodexo. Additionally, this is why we have previously demanded immediate and full access to all existing contracts with outside vendors, contractors and subcontractors.



President Bassett, you have repeatedly alleged that there is a culture of respect and professionalism between Clark, Sodexo, and food service workers. However, there is no such culture at Clark. To name just one example, one worker, who is vocally pro-union, had her hours cut and was forced to take on a second job to support her family. Workers are not even permitted to formally submit their thoughts and concerns to management in writing. Simply because our food service workers are subcontracted does not enable Clark to ignore poor wages and working conditions, disrespect in the workplace, unaffordable health-care, or intimidation. Just as our university has shown a commitment to the city of Worcester, it should be a given that we have an even stronger commitment to community members who are employed at our institution.



We would like to address recent concerns regarding a lack of dialogue between Clark Unite and the administration. We first notified administration on January 29th, 2010 about the intimidation of workers on our campus. We participated in multiple meetings as a means to open up a dialogue while stressing the urgency that the issue be addressed before the end of the semester. During this time, labor and wage violations continued. You categorically denied our reports about conditions in the workplace that had come from our communication with workers, and also all of our demands. Your commitment to a Labor Code of Conduct is commendable in that it is necessary. However, this would guarantee labor rights in the long term, and does not address the urgency of current organizing on our campus. The demands we have previously laid out are the bare minimum to ensure a fair labor environment and to maintain job security for all food service workers at Clark University, and are therefore non-negotiable to maintain Clark University's principles, values, and mission.

As stated in our previous letter, Clark Unite! expects Clark University to provide signed documentation and to publicly commit to establishing these demands as university policy no later than 12 PM on Friday, April 9, 2010. A lack of policy and a reliance on Sodexo corporate statements and culture of professionalism ignores that Sodexo has every incentive and ability to dismiss and intimidate pro-union workers. Please contact us via email at ssusman@clarku.edu. We look forward to your response.

Press on last week's Solidarity Festival

"Food Fight" in Worcester Magazine
"Students Rally for Workers" in the Telegram & Gazette

300 Walk Out For Workers Rights: Protest Administration’s Failure to Act

Yesterday, Thursday, April 1st, three hundred students and faculty left class and marched past Clark University administrative offices in support of food service workers. The crowd chanted, "What do we want? Worker rehire! What do we want? Neutrality! When do we want it now? Now!" These chants were a vocalization of the simple demands that Clark Unite!, the organizers of the event, have been requesting the university enact.


Clark Unite! has met with university president, John Bassett, as well as the incoming president, David Angel, on multiple occasions to address concerns about the treatment of Sodexo employees. Sodexo is subcontracted by the university to provide all food on campus. Jeremy Weyl, a student, notes, "These issues were brought to the attention of the administration in January and there has still been no tangible action." Clark Unite! is calling for the administration to support preferential rehire, a policy of neutrality, and to ratify a labor code of conduct. In a letter delivered today, Clark Unite! states that they expect Clark University to provide signed documentation and to publicly commit to establishing these demands as university policy no later than Friday, April 9.


Over half the student body, countless alumni, and 78 faculty members have signed a petition asking Bassett to speak out against corporate intimidation and harassment. Additionally, the Clark University Student Council has endorsed Clark Unite!’s proposals, as well as over 40 other student groups and associations.


Clark Unite! is organizing in solidarity with workers considering the option of unionization under the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 615. Sodexo has been punishing pro-union workers at Clark, cutting hours while hiring new workers, cross-training to make workers expendable, conducting illegal surveillance of union meetings, and using other intimidation methods. Workers are organizing for respect in the workplace, a living wage, and affordable health care benefits.

Hannah Caruso, a student, says, “Bassett’s response falls shockingly and disappointingly short of the commitment the university supposedly has made to the community. Clark University's slogan, "Challenge Convention, Change Our World" has become an empty cliche. Where is the action? Clark must address all of these issues in order to maintain its position as a leader in social responsbility.”


Clark Unite! is a group of Clark students, faculty, staff, and alumni committed to organizing around issues of social and economic justice. They work to promote equal access to dignified employment, worker's rights to organize, and the fair distribution of resources. They support Sodexo food service workers' right to organize for better working conditions without intimidation. Clark Unite! values the workers’ service to the Clark community.

Solidarity Festival 2010

Walk Out and Rally on April 1st, 11:30

Support the rights of our Sodexo workers at Clark University by sticking it to the man-John Bassett himself. Join Clark Unite! on Thursday, April 1st: WALK OUT of your class at 11:30 (if you feel comfortable, bien sur), RALLY at 12:00, and skip for the rest of the day for fun, FOOD, guest speakers, live music (Harry and the Potters, anyone?) and a general awesome time, while still supporting a great cause. Let's all come together and show the administration that challenging convention and changing our world takes ACTION!

Harry And The Potters
http://www.myspace.com/harryandthepotters

The Motel Matches
http://www.myspace.com/themotelmatches

More TBA

Labor Rights Denied: Clark UNITE!'s dialogue with Clark U. Administration

The Clark administration is a key point of leverage for Clark UNITE! - students, alumni, and staff who are organizing in solidarity with food service workers considering the option of unionization under the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 615. The administration answers to students, alumni, and staff who are all stakeholders in this university, as well as dictates the terms of its contract with Sodexo, with whom food services are subcontracted out to. Clark's administration can amend the current contract with Sodexo, threaten Sodexo with contract non-renewal, and demand that labor rights be respected and enforced.

Clark UNITE! has attempted to engage the administration in dialogue about the urgency of labor rights on our Clark campus, only to have those concerns fall on deaf ears. On January 29^th, Clark UNITE! first sent a letter to the administration after hearing about a coercive and deceptive anti-union meeting. That letter is available on our blog.

That anti-union meeting was led by three Sodexo higher-ups from Sodexo corporate. At that meeting two Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs) were committed, that are currently being processed by National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) courts established by the 1935 National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The first ULP was telling employees that once they signed union petitions they were “signing themselves away.” The second ULP was telling employees that after they negotiated for a union that they would be making less money than before because of union dues. When unionization is negotiated with an employer, employees often negotiate for a pay raise as well. Why would anyone negotiate a contract in which they were making less money? These are two examples of false information that are protected against by law, keep in mind a law that was written in 1935 and does not reflect a shift towards a service economy. That anti-union meeting is part of a larger campaign of intimidating workers, such as reprimanding individuals, supposedly for excessive bathroom breaks, when employees are vocal about being pro-union.

The administration did not respond to Clark UNITE! until February 11^th, two weeks later. After a very public rally in support of worker’s rights on February 28^th, the administration agreed to meet with Clark UNITE! spokespeople to hear our demands. Several UNITE!-ers met with Executive Vice President James Collins, President John Bassett, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs David Angel. At that meeting on March 4^th administration was ostensibly receptive to our concerns and made a verbal commitment to labor rights and to a process of adopting a Labor Code of Conduct. Clark UNITE! was promised a prompt response, but after several more weeks without hearing anything, Clark UNITE! became increasingly concerned that labor issues would not be resolved before the end of the semester. Clark UNITE! asked administration for a second meeting by presenting them with our petition of over 1,000 Clark students and alumni, over 40 student groups, and 78 faculty members. That second meeting was to go over some of the language in our proposed Labor Code of Conduct, as the Clark administration requested, and to go over the response the administration was going to take to the pressing issue. At our second meeting on March 24th, again with with Bassett, Angel, and Collins, the administration reneged on their previous commitment to labor rights, reneged on their responsibility to all stakeholders of this university, and reneged on Clark's motto of "Challenge Convention, Change Our World."

Bassett, Angel, and Collins rejected all four of our demands. Those demands, which appeared on our petition, are again:

1) Clark University will immediately enforce a campus-wide policy of neutrality concerning the process of unionization to be followed by all of its subcontractors. This includes the right to recall for current employees, guaranteeing them preferential rehire whenever classes resume.

2) Clark University will tangibly support the process of unionization in the most expedient and fair manner for all university and subcontracted employees that desire union representation.

3) Clark University will enact Clark Unite!'s proposed Labor Code of Conduct for Clark University in a timely manner through the appropriate administrative channels.

4) No resources controlled by Clark University, financial or otherwise, will go towards supporting anti-union activities.

Nearly eight weeks later after being notified of the intimidation of labor at Clark, and leading Clark UNITE! to believe that they would take action, the administration claimed that neutrality would "limit Sodexo's right to free speech." They felt there was no need for preferential rehire because there have not been any problems yet (before the issue of unionization could be a point of discrimination). Administration felt it was more important to foster a culture of "trust" and "respect" with Sodexo management. And committed to only investigating individual cases when they occur, repeatedly saying "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

The only culture being fostered at Clark University is a culture of rampant classism. One worker was told by Sodexo management in front of Clark students, that if that employee wanted a better wage she should "go to college and get a better job." That is an example of why, though employees say wages and benefits are not adequate, that employees seeking unionization say what they want most is respect in the workplace. Clark Administration has expressed the same classism with their disregard for labor rights and denial of workers' agency.

Our demands must be met by the end of the semester. Food service employees are laid-off during months in which classes are not in session. Normally employees are invited back to work when classes resume, however pro-union employees are already having their hours cut while Sodexo is hiring new employees. Losing hours has huge consequences when you are providing for your family. It can be expected based on this behavior that Sodexo may not rehire employees who are practicing their right to organize by being vocally pro-union unless there is policy, and an enforcement thereof, by the Clark administration.

Here is a very real opportunity in which Clark can "change our world" by providing dignified employment. And administration is being antagonistic towards it.

Pres. Bassett Denies Labor Rights at Clark

It had been nearly eight weeks since Clark University's President Bassett learned of Sodexo’s illegal and immoral treatment of their employees at Clark. Finally, his response to Clark Unite! this past Wednesday, March 24th in a private meeting with four students was refusal to even acknowledge (much less act on) the situation of grave injustice.

These remarks on the part of the University’s highest administrator are unsettling considering recent events. Workers who prepare and serve food at the Higgins Café, The Bistro, and Jazzman’s Café and Bakery are facing serious intimidation and discrimination as they organize to seek union recognition from their employer, Sodexo, Inc. The intimidation includes several illegal Unfair Labor Practices, such as forcing workers to attend mandatory meetings under false pretenses where managers provided false anti-union information. Clark Unite! believes that at Clark no one should have their legal right to join a union violated. Even more, the group believes that the University should be better than the law, and publicly guarantee that this is a safe place for democratic union drives.

Bassett, Provost Angel and Vice President for Business Jim Collins (who also attended the meeting) were totally opposed to doing anything to respond to Clark Unite!’s demands, and sided with Sodexo management’s version of the truth. The three men’s initial statement in the meeting on Wednesday was that they felt we all had essentially the same values. This attempt at harmony was destroyed when the administration admitted that they are only willing to hear about working conditions from Sodexo management, not workers. They are only interested in investigating specific problems and worker complaints on an individual basis and as isolated events.

President Bassett expressed his belief that neutrality would limit Sodexo's corporate right to free speech. What is more, he claimed to not have clear evidence from us ("4 students and
1 or 2 faculty") that workers were being intimidated, and that they could believe Sodexo management's reports about the feelings and conditions of the workers. In reality, over 1,000 clark students and alumni and 78 faculty members have signed a petition calling on Bassett to declare support for workers’ right to join a union free of intimidation and harassment. On top of that support on behalf of individuals, the Clark University Student Council has endorsed Clark Unite!’s proposals, as well as over 40 other student groups and associations. How can Bassett completely disregard the opinions of those who make up his University?

Bassett and his two colleagues refused to take a stance on preferential rehire, a crucial policy that could guarantee Sodexo workers’ jobs regardless of whether they are pro- or anti- union. Their reasoning was that because there had never been a problem expressed to them about it in the past, they saw no reason to publicly demand anything of Sodexo.

They ignored the fact that many workers feel that their jobs will be (or already are) at risk if they speak out about the union. Some workers' jobs already are (one worker has had her hours cut and had to take a night job at the same time Sodexo made new hires). Targeted retaliation against workers who support unionization is entirely unfair and undemocratic.

Clark UNITE! is a group of Clark students, faculty, staff, and alumni committed to organizing around issues of social and economic justice. We work to promote equal access to dignified employment, worker's rights to organize, and the fair distribution of resources. We support Clark Sodexo food service workers' right to organize for better working conditions. They have the right to do so without intimidation. We value their service to the Clark community.

Clark Unite! will continue to advocate the University administration for freedom and democracy for campus workers. Bassett’s response falls shockingly and disappointingly short of the commitment the University supposedly has made to the community. Sodexo is also employing anti-union tactics that current law allows, but that are a direct contradiction to Clark’s values and commitment to community. Clark must address all of these issues in order to maintain its position as a leader in social responsibility.

Clark University Student Council Shows Support

Student Council Endorsement:

We, the members of the Clark Undergraduate Student Council, formally accept and endorse the contents of the attached proposal for a Clark University Labor Code of Conduct. This policy is an affirmation of inherent rights that all institutions must responsibly protect and uphold. The cornerstone of Clark University is our commitment to fostering community; an environment based on acceptance, solidarity, and social consciousness. Students are united through this central value of inclusion. With this endorsement let it be known that all who share this campus are members of our community. Regardless of one’s status as a student, faculty or staff member, administrator, manager, or campus worker, all are entitled to the same level of respect. Often taken for granted is the fact that campus workers are members of the Clark community. They are entitled to the same sense of dignity and open environment that all enjoy. When questions of unionization arise it is the responsibility of the entire Clark community to reinforce fundamental rights and make known that intimidation, harassment, and discrimination by any party will not be accepted. Ultimately the final decision is to be decided by the workers and the workers alone. As students we must stand behind these principles. Failure to recognize these basic values is a violation that affects the entire Clark community.

The Clark Undergraduate Student Council urges the University administration to immediately affirm the contents of the attached proposal for a Clark University Labor Code of Conduct. Acceptance of this policy is an assertion of the mutual regard we have for one another on this campus.

Advisory Committee Addendum:

As Clark University Student Council, we endorse preferential rehire for any employee at Clark University that is seasonally laid off. Preferential rehire ensures that any worker that wants to return to work after summer break is entitled to a job before any new worker is hired. Sodexo policy for higher educational institutions mandates that workers are laid off in May and asked to return to work in August when school begins again. There is the potential for discrimination against pro-union workers in the rehiring process, and preferential rehire would address this possibility.

Videos from Sunday's rally

Nearly 200 rally Sunday for workers' rights

Yesterday, nearly 200 community members, local labor unions, Sodexo workers, and Clark students and faculty rallied in support of food service workers' right to organize for better working conditions. Photos by Hannah Kay.


Students wore purple in solidarity with the workers' struggle for fair treatment and democratic freedom to join a union.


Alex Westervelt and Celina Grisi represented the student group Clark Unite! by demanding that President Bassett come forward with a public statement of neutrality.



The students met in Red Square and marched to Crystal Pond to meet the workers, who are currently not allowed on campus outside of their shift hours.


THE WORKERS AND STUDENTS WILL ALWAYS STAND UNITED!
Chanting and marching.





Alex expressed the students' support for workers.

Worcester Mayor Joe O'Brien, a huge friend of organized labor, spoke in support of the freedom to join a union.

State Representative Jim O'Day, a card carrying union member, reminded us that we have support in the state legislature.

Worcester T&G covers Sunday's protest

Clark dining hall workers protest lack of ‘respect’

Mayor, other politicians back union effort

WORCESTER — Clark University workers who say they receive low wages and little respect at their jobs in the university dining hall rallied yesterday at University Park with scores of other labor supporters, demanding better treatment.

The workers say their employer, Sodexo — which is the world’s 22nd largest employer — is opposing their petition to unionize and fight for better wages and benefits. But Sodexo, which provides dining services through a contract with Clark, says it supports employees’ right to unionize.

Read more...

Faculty Support

Here is an incredible response letter Clark Unite! received from one of our faculty member upon learning about our campaign. We are utterly grateful for her support and allowing us to publish her sentiment.


Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for your work on behalf of Clark's food service workers. I signed the petition you circulated during yesterday's faculty assembly and was touched by your commitment to establishing fair labor practices for Sodexho employees.

This is a cause that is near and dear to me. I entered academia rather late in life after spending many years as both a union and non-union worker in hotels, restaurants, and bars. I know what it's like to have my job threatened by employer intimidation and how much better my life became when I received union bargaining rights and protection. Simply put, my college and graduate school education was made possible by the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union, Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota local #17 (HERE / AFL-CIO).

Please relay my heartfelt support to Clark's food service workers.

Sincerely,

Toby Sisson
Assistant Professor of Studio Art
Department of Visual and Performing Arts
Clark University


In addition, as of now, over 60 professors have signed the faculty letter crafted by Robert Ross and Dianne Rocheleau!

Workers Face Intimidation and Disrespect. Clark Community Rallies in Their Support!

WHEN: Sunday, February 28th at 11:30 am – 1 pm

WHERE: Crystal Park across from Clark University on Main St.

WHAT: Workers, Clark Unite! for Economic Justice, SEIU Local 615, Mayor Joe O'Brien, and other community members will rally to galvanize support for Clark Sodexo workers’ right to organize free of intimidation.

Sodexo, the company subcontracted by Clark University for food services, has been punishing pro-union workers, cutting hours while hiring new workers, cross-training to make workers expendable, conducting illegal surveillance of union meetings, and using other intimidation methods. The management utilizes systematic favoritism and many workers who have served this community for years still lack the wages and benefits necessary to meet their and their families’ most basic needs. One member of Clark Unite!, Elora Way says, “this is a direct contradiction to Clark’s values and commitment to community and we must address these issues.” Clark UNITE! has attempted to engage the university administration to address these concerns, but has so far been unsuccessful.

Sodexo employees are asking for a national Sodexo agreement to ensure livable wages, better conditions and and greater respect on the job. Sodexo is the world’s 22nd largest employer, with around 120,000 employees in North America. Last year, dispite huge profits, the company paid many of its workers poverty wages. Noemi Nunez, a Sodexo employed cashier at Clark University says, “even though we are struggling just to survive, the main thing is respect."

Clark UNITE! is a group of Clark students, faculty, staff, and alumni committed to organizing around issues of social and economic justice. The group demands that Sodexo maintain a policy of neutrality towards the organizing process and an expedient method of unionization democratically chosen by workers, such as card check or majority sign up. Clark UNITE! is also demanding a labor code of conduct to be adopted by Clark University.

Clark UNITE! works to promote equal access to dignified employment, worker's rights to organize, and the fair distribution of resources. The group supports Clark Sodexo food service workers' right to organize for better working conditions. We value their service to the Clark community.

Clark Unite member Jen Burt talks about campaign on local radio show guest panel!

Find it here!

A Second Letter Delivered to Bassett

On Monday students hand-delivered a more explicit letter to President Bassett and Provost Angel representing the third piece of communication between Clark Unite! and Clark Administration.


Dear President Bassett,

We appreciate your response to our letter. However, it falls short of the commitments that Clark University, its faculty, and student body have to our community. We are not asking that Clark simply ensure its subcontractors follow the National Labor Relations Act, which was written for a 1930's employment environment. We are asking that Clark uphold its motto to "challenge convention and change our world" by holding itself and its contractors to a higher standard of neutrality.

With the NLRA as a minimum standard, SEIU Local 615 is currently pursuing two Unfair Labor Practices that have taken place at Clark. These include supervisors illegally attending a union meeting on January 15th and Sodexo disciplining union supporter Michelle Roman in retaliation for her support for the union on January 20th.

Sodexo is also employing anti-union tactics that current law allows, but that are a direct contradiction to Clark’s values and commitment to community. Clark must address all of these issues in order to maintain its position as a leader in social responsibility.

We recognize your stated desire to uphold Clark’s values and monitor the organizing process at Sodexo. However, as Clark University currently lacks the necessary mechanisms to do this, it is imperative that Clark adopt the following policies:

1. That Clark University demand that Sodexo maintain a policy of neutrality towards the organizing process. Adopting neutrality will prevent Sodexo from employing coercive tactics through contractual agreement.

2. That Clark University shall demand recognition of card check or majority sign up from Sodexo.

3. That Clark University notifies employees and subcontracted employees both of their right to organize and their right to participate, or not, free of punishment.

4. That Clark University works to adopt the proposed Campus Labor Code of Conduct in a timely manner.

5. That all Clark University contracts be made public information starting immediately with Clark's contract with Sodexo.

We look forward to your partnership in building a stronger, more vibrant, and responsible employment environment for members of the Clark community. We would like to ask for a meeting during the first week of March to discuss these issues further with you and Provost David Angel. Please contact Sasha Susman at ssusman@clarku.edu or sasha.susman@gmail.com, or through campus mail at Box # 1986.

Sincerely,

Clark Unite!

CC: Provost David Angel, Dean Walter Wright, Jack Foley, Chairman William Mosakowski, The Board of Trustees, Undergraduate Student Council, Graduate Student Council, Paul Wykes

President Basset's Response

To Clark UNITE!:

Your communication to me arrived while I was out of town. I do appreciate your interest in the efforts by some of the Sodexo workers to form a union. We have worked with the Sodexo management, and they have assured us that they will continue to follow the processes outlined for these initiatives by the National Labor Relations Board. In the more than two years that Sodexo has managed the food services at Clark, we have never had a complaint brought forward to our attention by anyone working in the food services We respect, however, this is a process of dialogue among the employees and will monitor it to be aware of any violations from either side.

Sincerely,

John Basset

First Clark Unite! Solidarity Action

You may have seen people wearing purple shirts in the cafeteria last Friday, January 29th, during lunch. This was an action organized by Clark Unite!, a new Clark community group composed of Clark students, faculty, and staff committed to organizing around issues of social and economic justice. This action was held in direct response to intimidation of workers who prepare and serve food at the Higgins Café, The Bistro, and Jazzman’s Café and Bakery.

Workers are organizing for union recognition from their employer, Sodexo. Sodexo management has gone as far as tricking workers into attending mandatory meetings under false pretenses where managers provided false anti-union information. The management utilizes systematic favoritism and many workers who have served this community for years still lack the wages and benefits necessary to meet their and their families’ most basic needs.

As a display of support for the food service workers’ right to organize in the Clark community, Clark Unite! walked into the cafeteria to eat and deliver our concerns about worker’s intimidation to Sodexo management. Clark Unite! expressed concerns verbally to the manager, but he refused to take our detailed letter. In this letter we made demands including the right to organize, that workers not be harassed or intimidated in the process, that Sodexo respect any method of unionization, and that there will be no negative consequences for workers exercising their rights, among others.

We also presented a letter to Clark administration expressing our concerns with Sodexo and expectations from Clark. This letter demanded that Clark University require all contractors to recognize any legal method of unionization democratically chosen by workers, including card check or majority sign up. No resources controlled by Clark University, financial or otherwise, should go towards supporting anti-union activities. We also proposed a Labor Code of Conduct for them to adopt. We have done this so that we are in honest communication with the Clark administration as we continue to work together to make the Clark community stronger.

Clark Unite! became active in this campaign through the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the union which is leading a national campaign to organize Sodexo workers. As Clark Unite!, we work to promote equal access to dignified employment, worker’s right to organize, and the fair distribution of resources. If you are interested in becoming involved email us at clarkunite@gmail.com and stay tuned for future actions. Check us out on Facebook or at clark-unite.blogspot.com

Clark Unite!'s Proposed Labor Code of Conduct

Clark University affirms the internationally recognized right of all workers to form associations in conjunction with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 23) and wants Clark to be a place that affirms and upholds this right, so that workers may associate without fear of intimidation, harassment, and discrimination. Clark agrees to, at a minimum, adhere to the principles set forth in the Code. The University will require all administrators, managers, supervisors, contractors and subcontractors to adhere to the principles set forth in the Code. The University will provide a copy of this Code to all current contractors and subcontractors; From the date of adoption forward, the University will incorporate this Code into all new and re-negotiated contracts, and require its contractors to incorporate this Code into any sub-contracts or agreements for work engaged on University premises.

A. The term “campus worker” shall, for purposes of the Code, and unless otherwise specified in the Code, encompass all employees working on campus whether direct employees, employees of contractors and/or subcontractors not limited by hours or length of employment term (full time, part time, or temporary). “Campus worker” includes but not limited to: food service workers, janitorial staff, grounds staff, parking attendants, security officers, clerical workers, librarians, drivers, engineers, construction workers, professors and teaching assistants.
No campus worker shall be subject to harassment, intimidation or retaliation in their efforts to freely associate or bargain collectively. The University shall not cooperate with contractors or subcontractors that attempt to prevent workers from organizing a union of their choice. Universities shall allow union organizers free access to employees and the employees of contractors and subcontractors. The University shall recognize the union of the employees’ choice.

B. The University respects the rights of workers to choose for themselves whether to form and join a union and commits that it will remain neutral on the issue of worker unionization. The University will ensure that its administration, management personnel, contractors and subcontractors honor this commitment and abide by the following:

1. The University agrees that it will not attempt to influence workers about their choice concerning union representation; and that it will not allow the use of campus resources or the expenditure of University funds to influence workers about their choice concerning union representation.

2. The University will allow representatives of labor organizations access to the campus and to campus facilities for the purpose of providing information to workers to inform workers about union representation and their rights to form and join a union. This provision includes access to the employees of contractors and subcontractors.

3. The University recognizes that workers are allowed to express their views and opinions regarding union representation. No workers on the University campus will be questioned by supervisory, management, or administration personnel, including contractors and subcontractors, about their support or membership, or lack thereof, in a labor union; no workers on the University campus will be subjected to harassment because of their membership or non-membership in a labor union or their activity in support or derogation of union representation; and no workers on the University campus will receive preferential treatment because of their membership or non-membership in a labor union or their activity in support or derogation of union representation.

C. The University will notify its employees and employees of its contractors and subcontractors, in writing, that it respects their rights regarding union representation; and advise them that the University has agreed to a policy of neutrality concerning workers' efforts to achieve union representation and that there will be no negative consequences for employees who exercise their right to support union representation.

D. The University, as well as its contractors and subcontractors, will honor any legal method of unionization as chosen by the workers. Legal method of unionization includes a card-check or majority sign-up procedure.

E. The University, its contractors and subcontractors will uphold the right to collective bargaining by negotiating with the workers’ representative in a fair and expeditious manner.

F. The University will enter in an agreement to effectuate the principles of this code within the bounds of good faith.

Letter to President Basset

January 29, 2010
President John Bassett
Clark University



Dear President Bassett,

We write to you to address an urgent matter on campus. Workers who prepare and serve food at the Higgins Café, The Bistro, and Jazzman’s Café and Bakery are facing serious intimidation and discrimination as they organize to seek union recognition from their employer, Sodexo, Inc. Sodexo management on campus has been directly intimidating workers, going as far as tricking workers into attending mandatory meetings under false pretenses where managers provided false anti-union information. The management utilizes systematic favoritism and countless workers who have served this community for years still lack the wages necessary to meet their and their families’ most basic needs.

As President, you have the power to require any campus contractor to stop violating the rights of hard working people who make our university run. Clark University has the opportunity to set a moral precedent on this matter and to be a leader in the university community, embodying our motto, “challenge convention, change our world.” We urge you to adopt as policy that: Clark University will require all contractors to recognize any legal method of unionization democratically chosen by workers, including card check or majority sign up. No resources controlled by Clark University, financial or otherwise, will go towards supporting anti-union activities.

As students of Clark University, an institution that prides itself in its community engagement, community activism, and overall moral regard for the well-being and dignity of our fellow human beings, we want our university to uphold the right to organize and collectively bargain for all workers on our campus. This means Clark University’s subcontracted employees must be able to organize and collectively bargain without fear of intimidation, harassment, or discrimination. Union recognition and collective bargaining is the only way for employees to have dignity at work and ensure that they receive the wages and benefits they deserve.

Given the urgency of this matter, we expect to hear a response from you no later then February 5th, 2010. Members of our group are happy to meet to discuss this matter. We have attached an example of the labor policy we wish for Clark University to adopt. You may contact us through our representative Sasha Susman at Campus Box #1986 or via email at ssusman@clarku.edu.


Sincerely,


Clark UNITE!

CC: Clark Board of Trustees, Provost David Angel, and Clark University Graduate and Undergraduate Student Council