Democracy on College Campuses

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Mon, 02/08/2010 - 12:38

Any scholarly discussion of democracy must review, not only the history of democratic political movements, but the theories…and theorists who have contributed to our modern conception of democracy….

Good thing this isn’t a scholarly discussion. So we’ll skip ahead a few beats…

My only real point on the concept of democracy is that the one-person-one-vote, free-and-fair election conception of democracy, though partially adequate for practical purposes when describing large political entities, falls short of the true essence of democracy—defined here as active participation in the decision-making of the entity that one is a part of.

The mantra of the Stir It Up blog is that campus food service needs to be injected with a dose of democracy.   When it comes to food service decisions, administrators need to take a step back and the university’s main constituents—students—need to step up. This is also the UNITE HERE position when it comes to worker involvement in their union…but I digress.

There are many decisions that students should have a say in:   Should the food service be contracted? Who should the food service be contracted to? How should food service revenue be allocated? What food purchasing policies should be put in place?   What standards for food service worker treatment should the university apply and enforce? 

These are just a snippet of the types of food service decisions that are made on college campuses. Is there an advisory role for administrators and consultants in making such decisions? Sure. But students should be more heavily involved in the decision-making process; and mechanisms should be put in place to ensure that the student-body (as opposed to several appointed representatives) get the final say over important decisions. 

As many of you are aware, the host of this blog, and the organization that I work for is UNITE HERE—a labor union that represents primarily food service, gaming and hotel workers. One of the reasons that I believe in unions—and that I work for one—is that unions are designed to increase democracy in the workplace. With a union, workers have defense against the often tyrannical and unjust whim of their bosses and they gain a voice in their working condition. In practice this results in better compensation for the work that they do.  But though gains in compensation are important tangible benefits of having a union, the ability of workers to participant in workplace decisions—thereby making the workplace more democratic—is a worthy end, in and of itself. 

Unions –a collective of workers—should work to create an environment where workers, rather than union officials, take control of their workplace.  Though no union is perfect in this regard, UNITE HERE continues to strive towards this ideal in workplace after workplace, including in college cafeterias where many workers are members of UNITE HERE. 

Unfortunately, some other unions, are moving in the opposite direction. One of these unions is Service Workers United (SWU), a union that represents workers at a handful of college cafeterias. And just as democracy in the workplace results in better compensation; lack of democracy, even in union shops, can result in stagnated wages and sub-par benefits. 

A UNITE HERE website devoted to the reform of SWU, Democracy for SWU, explains how the SWU model—which is really the SEIU model— can result in lack of worker democracy and lower contract standards:

A key component of SWU’s methods is to agree to national boilerplate deals with companies. By forcing boilerplate contracts, SWU leaders have effectively prevented SWU members from gaining parity with other union members. In New York, for example, when SWU workers wanted to pressure a Compass subsidiary at Goldman Sachs in New Jersey to meet UNITE HERE Local 100’s standards of free family health, a Local 100 organizer reported that, “Kurt Edelman [President of SWU] told us that we couldn't do it, that asking for free family health was outside the parameters of the agreement” that Edelman had reached with the company.  

This, I think it’s safe to say, is not a picture of what a union should be.  Just as lack of democracy at college campuses is a problem that students are working to address through the Stir It Up campaign, lack of democracy for SWU members is a problem that UNITE HERE and its member are working to address.   If SWU represents the workers at your campus, please join in the fight to hold the union officials accountable to the workers whose interests it purports to represent. 

Pink Slime

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Mon, 01/25/2010 - 13:44

Just a quick thought: if Compass really wants to kick-start its new flexitiarian initiative, it might want to share this recent article about a filler (referred to by one USDA microbiologist as “pink slime”) that its producer, Beef Products, Inc., reports is used in a majority of the hamburgers sold nationwide. Check it out:

 
 
 

Food Service Fights in New York: Victories Past and the Fight Ahead

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Wed, 01/20/2010 - 15:03
 
Last semester, Hunter College students, faculty and staff united in support of the College’s cafeteria workers. These workers, employees of the College’s food service vendor, AVI Foodsystems, were facing the prospect of losing their free family health benefits after AVI took over the contract from Sodexo. Thanks, not only to the bravery of the workers and their refusal to accept dramatic concessions, but to the support of the Hunter College students and faculty, the workers won a good contract—one that included fully paid health benefits for their families. 
 
Here’s testimony from Owen Hill, one of the students who fought in solidarity with the men and women who serve food to the Hunter College community. You can learn more about student-worker campaigns at UNITE HERE’s student-worker solidarity site. 
 
"The majority of Hunter students are working class students; not only do we come from working class households, but most of us work to make it through school.  So it’s only natural that Unite Here Local 100’s fight to save our cafeteria workers’ raises, pensions, andhealth care struck such a chord with Hunter’s student body.  For, just like the workers that Hunter students so proudly stood in solidarity with, every day our living standards and those of our families are continuing to melt under the withering blows of slashed budgets, greedy employers and a deregulated banking system.  Indeed, the response on our campus was so enormous that AVI Foodsystems, the cafeteria workers’ employer, was forced to back down on the vast majority of their demands before the student/faculty boycott of the cafeteria even began.  The resounding victory of Unite Here Local 100 and the courageous workers over a company that was demanding substantial concessions, points the way forward for students and workers alike, and reminds us all once again that solidarity really is the only way to win."
 
Preach on, Owen! As someone who was involved in the fight that brought students and workers together at Hunter College, I can tell you that Owen’s testimony is no overstatement. 
 
Unfortunately, AVI Foodsystems seems to have not learned their lesson from the student-worker solidarity they had to deal with at Hunter.  At nearby Sarah Lawrence College, where AVI also took over the contract to provide food service, workers and students have formed an alliance to fight for fair compensation for the food service workers at the College. Having won union recognition with Local 100 several months ago, the workers at Sarah Lawrence, along with their student allies, are now fighting for a similar contract to that won by the workers at Hunter College. So far, AVI has been resistant to accepting the reasonable position of the workers and has not been willing to budge on providing the workers with full family health benefits.
 
Check back for updates on Sarah Lawrence as the battle for full health benefits and a fair contract unfolds. 
 
Photo, by Shane Valazquez, is of Owen Hill speaking at October 5th 2009 rally for AVI cafeteria workers outside Hunter College.

Flexitarian??

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Thu, 01/14/2010 - 13:12

A few months ago, I was sitting in my office with coworkers joking about the term “flexitarian,” which apparently is a term for people who are vegetarian… part-time. In other words, it is for people who eat meat, just not at every single meal. As the resident vegan in the office, it seemed especially hard to take the concept seriously. I figured if any term was necessary, standards like “omnivore” or “healthy” might suffice.

 
But I guess the term caught on. Compass Group this week announced a new “Be a Flexitarian” initiative. The plan is to provide more meat-free options in its cafeterias (on campuses and elsewhere). Whatever you think of the term flexitarian, Compass’s program is not such a bad idea.
 
Compass worked with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) on the program. The HSUS president said in a press release, “It doesn’t take an all-or-nothing approach to make a major impact, and giving customers more meat-free meal choices will improve health, reduce the impact of global warming and help animals.” 
 
It makes sense. Though I choose to take the step of removing all animal products from my diet, I know not everyone will do the same. If the program truly reduces the meat consumption in the cafeterias of one of the world’s largest food service providers, I’m all for it.
 
Of course, we have to see what it means on the ground.  If all it means are posters about “flexitarianism” plastered around dining halls, I suspect we won’t see a big drop in hamburger consumption on campus.  And as someone who has struggled to eat vegan meals in far too many college cafeterias across the country, even ones that claim to be friendly to restricted diets, I know that “expanded options” may not translate into satisfactory meals.  Compass has the right intentions, but they have their work cut out for them.
 
 

Catching Up

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 20:34

Happy New Year, dearest Stir It Up readers. After some time visiting family, battling snow storms and catching up on other things over the winter break, we’re back to keep you up on all of your favorite campus food service news stories.

Last week, I was taking some time to read through stories in the food service industry press. While you may not like their politics, industry publications are actually pretty good sources to keep tabs on the food service companies on your campus. My magazine/website of choice for such purposes is Food Management.   
 
Anyway, I wanted to share a couple snippets I belatedly stumbled across:
 
In 2009, the average cost of college and university meal plans went up by 6 percent. That seemed pretty steep to me, so I checked out how much the cost of eating out went up. Turns out, the cost increases on campuses far outpaced the year’s 2.1 percent inflation in the general “food away from home” category (you can always check out Consumer Price Index tables to track inflation).
 
 
So while costs are going up at a pretty quick pace, some colleges are forcing more people into meal plans. Back in May, we wrote about the University of Louisville forcing all students, including commuters, to buy meal plans. They aren’t alone. In December, Food Management reported that Barnard College will begin requiring all students to purchase plans as well. It may be a good trend for the companies, but not helpful for students trying to live more affordably off campus.
 
Not everything in the industry is depressing though. For example, the University of Alaska is growing some of the produce for its dining services right on campus.
 
We’ll leave it at that for now, but feel free to send us your own updates about food service on your campus anytime.
 
 
 

Aramark, Sodexo, Compass Post Financial Results

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Tue, 12/01/2009 - 16:23

 

In the past few weeks, Aramark, Sodexo and Compass have released their Fiscal Year 2009 financial results. We thought you all might be interested to see some of the numbers behind these businesses, so here’s a set of links to check out:
 
Compass:
 
 
Sodexo:
 
Aramark:
 
As financial results and other major announcements come out from major food service companies, we’ll do our best here at Stir It Up to keep you posted, so make sure you keep checking back. Another good way to stay on top of the news is to set up Google Alerts for your company of choice to get the rundown sent to you via email as often as you’d like. 

 

(Photo by Alan Cleaver, used here under Create Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.)

Food Service Workers at Sarah Lawrence College Win Union Recognition!

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 12:52

Last Friday the food service workers at Sarah Lawrence College were officially recognized as UNITE HERE Local 100 members. 75% of the workers, employees of AVI Foodsystems, signed a union authorization card. This is a great victory for the workers who, along with food service workers at Hunter College and the University of Southern California, had to struggle to get it.  Next up for the Sarah Lawrence workers…contract negotiations. We’ll keep you up-to-date as that unfolds, and we’ll post video of worker and student reaction to the initial Sarah Lawrence victory soon.   

In the meantime, here's a repost of the student-worker delegation at Sarah Lawrence that preceded the workers winning a neuatrality agreement from AVI by one day:  

 

Reflections on the Stir It Up conference

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Mon, 11/16/2009 - 15:08

I know we’ve already told you that the inaugural Stir It Up conference in Chicago was a huge success, but I’m sure all of you in the Stir It Up world want to know a bit more than that! 

The busy 5-hour day included introductions to the campus food service industry, Unite Here and the Student/Farmworker Alliance. Attendees heard from a panel of students who already have done great work around their campus food service providers as well as an incredibly moving panel of Unite Here Local 1 members who are fighting to improve their lives. The day ended with trainings on organizing and strategic campaign planning, giving students more of the skills they need to build power and make a difference on their campuses.
 
The hard work of the DePaul students who hosted the event and the other students from across the city who organized their peers to attend is still paying off. In the days following the conference, students and workers from the different campuses have begun to become friends on Facebook and are building the kinds of connections that will change campus food service for the better. 
 
If for some reason you still don’t believe our “huge success” claim, though, take a look at what the conference attendees have to say about the day’s events:
 
“Hearing how the students really wanted to help the workers out made me feel invigorated with a new sense of determination. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers presentation really made me think about the connection between us making the food and the workers who make everything we do in the kitchen possible.” – Alan Camacho, food service worker, DePaul University (See Alan’s full reflection here.)
 
“At the conference I got a chance to meet workers, fellow students and organizers on equal footing and build real relationships that shows me that my work is part of something bigger. Going back my campus I have a renewed sense that I'm not alone, and that together we can win." – Luis Brennan, student, University of Chicago. (See Luis’s full reflection here.)
 
“It felt really good to get things off my chest about my working environment. I was very pleased at how the students actually cared and listened to what the employees had to say. … The conference with the students was one the best times of this year.” – Chanteen Hardway, food service worker, DePaul University. (See Chanteen’s full reflection here.)
 
“The general sentiment was intimacy, a real sense of responsibility and commitment to one another as human beings. Our struggles are just as much our own as they are everyone's. I was both humbled and engaged by the workers' testimonies, and look forward to deepening my relationship with this community, and committing myself more fully to the union..” - Abbey Schumacher, student, DePaul University. (See Abbey’s full reflection here.)
 
“The turnout by itself was remarkable and inspiring, but the key thing for me to experience was dialogue with students – sharing my personal experiences and listening to their responses, it was supremely awesome to realize the mutual concern.” -- Ana Prillaman, barista, DePaul University. (See Ana’s full reflection here.)
 
“I left feeling great to know that these people understood what we are going through and are willing to do all that they can to help us.” – Nathan Arnold, food service worker, DePaul University. (See Nathan’s full reflection here.)
 

Conference Success!

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Mon, 11/09/2009 - 22:52

The Stir It Up miniconference in Chicago on Saturday was a huge success!  Students from five schools across the Chicago area spent the day learning from each other and from campus food service workers also standing up for change.

We'll have some more posts about the conference in the coming days and weeks, including some video, but for now check out the photo set on Facebook.  The photos were taken by Pat Brown, a student leader from DePaul.  Here's a sampling:

 

 

Students and workers start out the day.

 


Workers Making Change panel discussion.

Coalition of Immokalee Workers Update: Farmworkers Fight On

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Mon, 11/09/2009 - 13:44
 
Stir It Up Editor's Note: The article below was written by freelance journalist Ethan Genauer.  It addresses Sodexo and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and Student/Farmworker Alliance's Dine with Dignity campaign.  While SFA reports that Compass has reached an agreement with the CIW, Aramark and Sodexo still have not.  The positions taken in the article are the author's.

So now what, Sodexo? Farmworkers fight on
Farmworkers take on Sodexo at 2009 national CFSC conference in Des Moines

by Ethan Genauer

At the 2009 national conference of the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC), food service provider Sodexo publicly announced the corporation's willingness to support a wage increase for tomato farmworkers in Florida and to adopt a code of conduct that would protect the farmworkers from human rights abuses.

But farmworkers insist that "the campaign against Sodexo is going to continue" until the corporation follows these words with a meaningful commitment that includes a signed agreement and concrete action to implement it.

"The communication [from Sodexo] does not mean anything if there are no concrete steps toward something that is real. We hope that what they are saying is sincere, and we are open to discussions, but only if they are ready to do the right thing," said Gerardo Reyes Chávez, a spokesperson for Florida's coalition of tomato farmworkers.Continue reading >

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