VIDEO: Sarah Lawrence Students and Workers Delegate AVI Manager
We’ve been posting a lot about the situation at Hunter College where the unionized UNITE HERE Local 100 members are fighting to maintain their health benefits and pension from AVI Foodsystems, the company that operates the cafeteria. Meanwhile, less than 20 miles away, AVI is denying the food service workers at Sarah Lawrence College neutrality and a fair process for deciding whether to form a union.
On September 30th a group of about 12 workers and 5 students paid a surprise visit to their AVI manager to let him know that the workers and students support the workers right to organize without company intimidation.
In the video the workers, first in English and then in Spanish state their position on unionizing to the manager. The students back up the workers by stating that they will do whatever the workers ask of them in support. The manager’s response? Instead of addressing the substance of the request he goes on for almost 30 seconds about an ‘open-door policy.’
The video was shot by Easton Smith, a student at Sarah Lawrence College. Contact us if you have any videos or stories of food service related actions from your school.
