During an Oct. 13 meeting, more than two-thirds of Dining Services workers unanimously authorized a move to call for a strike next week if a new contract cannot be settled with the University, according to Roxana Rivera, director of Service Employees International Union Local 615.
"Workers don't want to strike if they don't have to, and we're trying to exhaust all possibilities before that decision needs to be made," Rivera said.
After failing to agree on a new contract before last Thursday's midnight deadline, the union decided to extend the current contract until Wednesday, Rivera said. To facilitate further negotiations, which begin today, the University recommended bringing in Paul Chabot, a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, an independent federal government agency that helps broker labor relations contracts, Rivera said.
Dining Services workers will reconvene on Wednesday to discuss a plan of action. If the University does not meet union demands, they may vote to go on strike.
"We hope we can reach an agreement that is fair, equitable and fiscally responsible," said Michael Chapman, vice president for public affairs and University relations. Chapman declined to comment further on negotiations.
Student Dining Services workers met on Sunday to discuss a strike contingency plan, according to Sarah Adler-Milstein '07.5, a member of the Student Labor Alliance. In order to prevent student workers from crossing the picket line, the SLA is organizing a strike fund for student workers who need financial assistance, she said.
On the cusp of Parents Weekend, Adler-Milstein is concerned that a potential strike will not reflect positively on the University, she said. "It's embarrassing that our parents would come here and know that their tuition dollars go to a university that prioritizes buildings over the people who work here," she said.
There will be a rally today at 4 p.m. outside of the Sharpe Refectory in support of Dining Services workers, Adler-Milstein said. On Oct. 11, another rally was held to voice concerns and present letters to President Ruth Simmons urging her to support Dining Services workers, but there has been no official response, according to Adler-Milstein.
"(The SLA) wants to make sure that the administration knows that we're not going to wait three more years (the length of the proposed contract) while these injustices continue on our campus," she said.
The University's current proposal includes a 2.75-percent annual wage increase, offset by a gradual increase in the health care co-pay and premium for full-time workers from 6 to 8 percent over a three-year period, Rivera said. With an approximate 4.5-percent annual inflation rate, the increase in nominal wages and health care costs amounts to a cut in real wages and benefits, Rivera said. Many Dining Services workers hold more than one job, and the majority make at or below $32,000 a year from the University, she said.
"This affects families that are already struggling," Rivera said. "Given that they are low-wage workers, it makes it harder and harder for people to support themselves."
The proposed increase in health care co-pays and premiums compensates for the added cost of benefits for assistant food service workers, who work 27 hours per week or fewer and comprise about 25 percent of Dining Services workers. Under the current proposal, these workers will have the opportunity to work enough hours to qualify for benefits, but specific details about this change are yet to be determined, Rivera said.
"For years, the University was not addressing this systemic problem, and they finally are now," she said. "We are happy and we acknowledge that they're doing that, but that doesn't mean that workers should have to pay for a mistake the University made."
Other changes include an increase in pharmacy and emergency room co-pays, Rivera said. In the face of the projected overall rising cost of health care, these changes will cause sweeping financial difficulties, she added.
"I'm hopeful that we'll be able to reach an agreement by Wednesday, but that remains to be seen," Rivera said. "The thinking is that you're better off today than you were five years ago, whether you're mopping the floors, cooking in the kitchen or teaching in the classroom."
