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.