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.