AFSCME Wins Food Service Outsourcing Fight at University of California–Davis

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/04/25/afscme-wins-food-service-outsourcing-fight-at-university-of-californiadavis/

Kevin Christensen, lead researcher in the AFL-CIO Center for Strategic Research, writes about a great victory for food service workers and custodians with AFSCME at the University of California-Davis.

AFSCME Local 3299 has won a four-year fight to end outsourcing of food service work in the 10-campus University of California (UC) system, after UC-Davis announced last week that nearly 200 workers currently employed by Sodexho will be eligible to apply for university employment, and so become AFSCME members.



UC-Davis, where Sodexho has held the contract for nearly 40 years, is the last campus in the UC system to outsource food services. Administrators say the workers will be taken in-house over the coming year, while Sodexho will remain to manage the operations.

Lakesha Harrison, president of AFSCME Local 3299, says:

This victory is one of many in a larger fight to hold the university accountable to all members of the community. And it’s been a long time coming. It’s the right thing for the university to do, but they need to do it quicker. Twelve months is too long.

Echoing these concerns, Lidia Uribe, a dining hall cook says:

“We are very excited, but we cannot wait for these changes. Every day, we face intimidation and racism at work. We need a voice and protection today.

Local 3299 has been committed to reversing the outsourcing trend. As at-will employees—meaning they can be laid off for nearly any reason the employer chooses—the Sodexho workers labored in fear of retaliation and intimidation when standing up for basic rights such as a voice on the job, fair wages, affordable health care and justice in their workplaces.

FULL story at link.

[Double T]

1. Sodexho is a truly heinous corrupt multinational corporation.........

that treats their employees and suppliers like garbage. Glad to see this victory over Sodexho BUT the next step is to get rid of the Sodexho management.