On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of Sodexo workers and Binghamton University students marched around campus to protest the fact that negotiations between Sodexo representatives and United Professional and Service Employees Union (UPSEU) 1222 have yet to result in a new contract. Sodexo employees are looking to negotiate for wage increases and comprehensive healthcare, and have been working without a contract since their last one expired in May.
Though the protest was certainly large, it is unfortunate that there weren’t more students supporting our campus’ food workers. As students, we interact with Sodexo workers each and every day. Whether it’s buying a Harpur College sandwich from New York Street Deli or a coffee from Jazzman’s, they are a part of our lives at every turn. Many of us, quite literally, rely on these individuals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Sodexo’s employees are a part of our campus community and a great many of them truly love working at BU and interacting with students. When classes are cancelled due to inclement weather, they are still at the dining halls making food. Many of us have employees with whom we’ve built a rapport, making a stop at the cash register also an opportunity to have a friendly conversation.
It is the opinion of the Editorial Board that we, as students, mustn’t turn a blind eye to their struggles. If the person who knows you by name and says ‘hello’ to you every morning with a smile needs food stamps to get by, it is our moral obligation to stand in solidarity with them. But this responsibility to be supportive does not fall only at the feet of students — the University must also make its voice heard.
In the past few weeks, BU’s administration has staked a neutral position as Sodexo and Union reps have attempted to reach a new contract. Commenting on the ongoing negotiations in an open letter to the University published in Pipe Dream on Feb. 26, Vice President for Student Affairs Brian Rose said that, “by law, Sodexo must bargain with UPSEU and not with any other party, including the University.” He also added that “it would be far more productive if they would focus on bargaining with the other party actually across the table (Sodexo) instead of attempting to drag the University into a negotiation in which they know full well that we have no legal standing to enter.”
We understand the difficult position that the administration is in. It cannot sit down at the bargaining table and bully Sodexo into providing a better contract to its workers. However, high-ranking administrators can show a dissatisfaction at the situation, and say that they do not condone the current conditions of hundreds of employees on BU’s campus.
The reality is that these workers serve on the front lines of our University, building an impression through their friendly faces and hard work. Prospective students touring campus in the next few weeks will visit dining halls and see dozens of employees wearing “FAIR CONTRACT NOW” pins on their shirts. Surely they will want to know that the school they are potentially committing to is also committed to the workers that help it function.
Binghamton University fosters a sense of accountability in its students — preparing us, theoretically, to be solid and productive citizens upon graduation. But what message does the administration send when it takes an official stance of neutrality on such an important issue?
As this situation grows, it will become increasingly difficult for administrators to remain detached. Though they cannot be a bargaining party, they must have a strong voice in the public conversation.