With union support, dining workers return fight to North Plaza
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Video: Connect2Mason's George Yanez compiles footage of today's strike and march. Check back later for a longer video.
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UPDATED 9/08/10 10:42 p.m. Sodexo statement
Joined by Service Employees International Union organizers and workers from other Sodexo-contracted locations across the country, several dozen George Mason University dining workers went on strike and marched through the Johnson Center’s North Plaza Wednesday to protest alleged unsafe working conditions and improper treatment.
Continuing unionization efforts from last spring, the workers carried green and gold signs claiming “Working at Sodexo shouldn’t hurt” and chanted “No justice, no peace” as they marched from their rallying point at the intersection of Braddock and Roanoke Road to the center of the Fairfax campus. Along the way, members of the band of purple handed out fliers to student and faculty passersby outlining their reasoning for the strike: “multiple workers” who have suffered injury on the job and “retaliation by Sodexo.”
Related:
>> Read the C2M story from Wednesday morning
>> Search past C2M coverage for "SEIU"
>> Read Sodexo's statement on dining safety at Mason
Sodexo employee Joe Measey, left, traveled from his job at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio to support the movement at Mason. (Jenna Beaver)
Upon reaching the plaza, SEIU organizers and a few workers lead the group in echoing chants of “As long as it takes, whatever it takes, we’ll be in your face.” SEIU organizers and workers from other Sodexo-contracted locations across the country passed out more fliers as activity continued on the plaza from 1:30 p.m. until about 3 p.m. During that duration, ABC 7, Telemundo and other news outlets interviewed workers and reported on the event.
By deadline, Connect2Mason was unable to confirm the exact amount of Mason-location Sodexo-employees at the event on the plaza. Mason Dining could not confirm the number of workers who did not show up for work. No physical count of Mason-location Sodexo employees matched 100, the number stated in the SEIU press release C2M received Wednesday morning.
C2M also received conflicting numbers of non-Mason participants. Matt Painter, a representative for SEIU, said 10 members of the group were SEIU staffers and about eight or nine people in the group were from other universities and hospitals. Joe Measey, who self-identified himself as a Sodexo-employee at Columbus, Ohio’s Crew Stadium, said that based on a meeting from the previous night, the number of non-Mason participants was closer to 30.
Two Jazzman’s locations, Café a la Carte and the Jazzman’s in the Prince William campus closed operations for the day on account of the strike. According to Resident District Manager for Sodexo Denise Ammaccapane, Mason Dining has also closed the George’s dining venue on the third floor of the Johnson Center in order to consolidate employees and keep operations open.
Dining workers plan to share their stories to the public at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 9, in the Johnson Center Cinema, according to Painter and an earlier release from GMU Students for Workers’ Rights member Jason Von Kundra.
Connect2Mason continues to follow and investigate this story. For the most up-to-date coverage, follow C2M on Twitter.
UPDATE 9/08/10 10:20 p.m. Connect2Mason received the following statement via e-mail Wednesday evening from Sodexo Director of Public Relations Alfred King. In the e-mail, King additionally says that safety inspectors were on campus Tuesday, a day prior to the strike and rally.
Statement from Sodexo, 9/08/10
Sodexo is widely recognized for leadership and innovation in creating a positive workplace environment and providing competitive wages and benefits. A small number of Sodexo employees participated in a labor action today at a few dining services locations at George Mason University. The activity did not disrupt our services to the George Mason community.
Sodexo is widely recognized for leadership and innovation in creating a positive workplace environment and providing competitive wages and benefits. A small number of Sodexo employees participated in a labor action today at a few dining services locations at George Mason University. The activity did not disrupt our services to the George Mason community.
Contrary to the latest allegations of SEIU's ongoing smear campaign, safety is a key priority for Sodexo. At George Mason, we have an Employee Safety Committee that meets monthly to listen and discuss ways to eliminate hazards in the workplace, address safety concerns and at-risk behavior, and reward safe work behavior. Training is conducted in three languages, training for every employee is tracked and recorded, and each employee signs a document verifying that they have completed the required training. We also provide employees with all required personal protective equipment. State of Virginia Occupational Safety and Health inspectors were at our George Mason facilities on Tuesday September 7, and did not note any issues of concern regarding Sodexo's operations.
Sodexo respects the rights of our employees to unionize or not to unionize, as they choose. In fact, more than 15 percent of our workforce is unionized (more than twice the national average) and we have more than 300 collective bargaining agreements with labor unions across the country. Our pay and benefits are among the best in the area for this type of work; the average wage for Sodexo employees at George Mason is $11.32 an hour.
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