Binghamton University’s position on contract negotiations between Sodexo and the United Professional & Service Employees Union (UPSEU) is officially one of neutrality, which, as both Sodexo and UPSEU understand, public rhetoric aside, is the only position the University can take. On behalf of the University administration, I am grateful to Sodexo employees for continuing to provide their usual outstanding service to the campus while negotiations are on-going. We understand and respect the employees’ interest in seeking to improve compensation and benefits.

As to Sodexo and the UPSEU bargaining leaders, we are frankly frustrated with all of them. Earlier in the bargaining process, we believe Sodexo was moving too slowly and created some of their own challenges by failing to fully understand the scope of a pension obligation that should have been clear to them. We are disappointed that Sodexo has, up until now, failed to clearly explain to the community their legitimate concerns and constraints, something I have personally asked them to do on multiple occasions. As to UPSEU’s bargaining leaders, 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.

Characterizing President Harvey Stenger’s inability to meet with them as uncaring toward Sodexo workers is disingenuous and more. By law, Sodexo must bargain with UPSEU and not with any other party, including the University. Furthermore, while continuously repeating big numbers about Sodexo’s worldwide revenues makes for a nice headline, the more relevant numbers would be Sodexo’s operating costs and revenues on the Binghamton contract, information which I understand Sodexo has agreed to provide at the bargaining table. The UPSEU leadership would do better to tone down the inflammatory public rhetoric and give more attention to bargaining for the workers they represent based upon information actually relevant to this negotiation. While frustrated with the negotiations between the two parties to date, the University is encouraged that Sodexo and UPSEU have scheduled two additional bargaining dates in March. We are further encouraged that they have agreed to employ a mediator to assist in those negotiations and expect that both parties will come to the table prepared to reach a fair agreement.

Brian Rose, Vice President for Student Affairs