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Hunter College Fights Back Against Tuition Hikes

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 14:37
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[Editor’s note: This post was written by Hunter College students, Mike Synan and Claudia O’Brien. Last year at Hunter College, students and workers stood together to demand that the cafeteria workers not lose their full family health benefits. Now students at Hunter, and throughout the CUNY system, are fighting back against tuition hikes.]

Last year the CUNY Board of Trustees voted to increase tuition by 5% in the spring and up to another 5% in the fall. In addition Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed a budget that includes massive cuts to the CUNY system. All of this comes on top of a string of budget cuts and tuition hikes that has resulted in a 51% increase since 2000.

However, students have a long history of fighting these attacks. Beginning in 1969 when Black and Latino students initiated the Open Admissions strike, CUNY was free and open to all. Only a few years later tuition was implemented; the first year that students of color were a majority in CUNY.   Militantly carving a space for themselves in the CUNY system starting with the gains of the Open Admissions struggle, students of color have been the focus of these attacks.

Recently students at Hunter College formed the group Hunter Fights Back in order to continue that struggle. Last semester Hunter Fights Back started a petition demanding that Hunter College President Jennifer Raab take a stand against the budget cuts and tuition hikes.

Students are also asking President Raab to support the cafeteria workers and make sure that their contract is honored. This demand was included because the interests of students and workers are intertwined. The petition will be presented to President Raab later in the spring. Regardless of the President’s response students and workers will continue to fight and work to unite their struggles—as the global economic crisis continues there is no doubt that these attacks on our livelihoods will keep coming.  

Photo via wallg's Flickr Photostream

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

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Wed, 01/20/2010 - 15:03
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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.

Hunter College Cafeteria Workers Win Contract from AVI

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 10:28
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After months of working with no contract and facing the prospect of losing the free family health benefits that they’d been receiving for years, the cafeteria workers at Hunter College finally won a collective bargaining agreement from AVI Foodsystems!  This contract includes free family health benefits, a significant employer contribution to the employee’s retirement plan, and substantial wage increases over the next three years.  As a result of this settlement (pending ratification on Friday) the boycott of AVI at the Hunter College cafeteria, planned for today, has been called off.
 
This victory did not come without a struggle, however. The fact that the workers got to keep their wages, will get a raise the next two years, and will get to keep their health benefits, resulted in large part from the worker and student actions that took place on the Hunter campus.
 
On September 3, 2009, the workers staged a 15 minute work stoppage and rallied for health benefits and pension inside the cafeteria in front of students in the middle of the lunch hour rush (see the video of that action here, pic to the right).  Soon after, the workers and their union, Unite Here Local 100, reached out to the Hunter College students and faculty for support.  After weeks of organizing and with the great support from the Professional Staff Congress, the CUNY faculty union, the Hunter College community staged a rally of around 150 people at the Hunter College main campus on October 5.
 
After an October 8th negotiation failed to result in a fair contract, Hunter students and faculty began organizing a boycott of AVI at the Hunter College cafeteria on October 29 unless AVI agreed to give the workers a fair contract.   Students and faculty collected over 1000 pledges to boycott the cafeteria on the 29th. Then, this past Friday, facing the prospect of an impending boycott, AVI finally agreed to the workers’ reasonable requests.   As a result, the boycott has been canceled. 
 
AVI finally did the right thing at Hunter College.   They also gave the AVI workers at Sarah Lawrence College a fair process for deciding whether to form a union this past Friday. If workers there choose to form a union, AVI will have a chance to do the right thing again, and agree to a fair contract with the workers at Sarah Lawrence. 
 
The student-worker coalition that formed at Hunter College celebrated this victory yesterday afternoon. Come back to this site for an update, with video reactions from the workers and students who fought so hard to win a good contract.   

Video: Hunter College Cafeteria Workers and Students React to Negotiations with AVI

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Tue, 10/20/2009 - 14:38
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As we announced late last week, unless AVI changes it stance on the Hunter College workers’ health benefits and pension, there will be an all-day boycott of all AVI food outlets at Hunter College on October 29th 2009. Here’s why it’s necessary: 
 
The Hunter College cafeteria workers have received free family health benefits for years.   AVI, the food service company that just came into Hunter College, has continually refused to respect this established job standard. At the most recent negotiation between the workers and the company, on October 8th, AVI continued to put forth a proposal that would result in the workers paying a significant, and increasing, sum for their health benefits. 
 
Under AVI’s proposal the workers would go from having free family health benefits last year and in years past to having to pay $141.98 per month by 2011-2012. Here’s a summary of the Hunter College AVI workers’ health care costs per month under AVI's most recent official proposal:1
 
  •  2008-2009--  $0
  •  2009-2010--  $50.46
  •  2010-2011--  $93.53
  •  2011-2012--  $141.98
 
The workers, as you can imagine, were pretty upset upon hearing AVI’s latest official offer.  Here’s an immediate post-negotiations reaction from Debbie, Paula, Lisa and Aisha, four of the cafeteria workers, outside of the UNITE HERE Local 100 office in New York.2
 
 

 
Several students and faculty from Sarah Lawrence College and Hunter College were in attendance at the negotiations as well. Here’s the response from Hunter College student Owen Hill. 
 

 

1.  Figures are based on 4.35 weeks per month; annual contribution rates run on September to September schedule.
2. Several small corrections. When Debbie states that the company is asking them to contribute $12 towards their pension fund, she means towards their health benefit fund, per week, this year; the exact number is $11.60 per week for ’09-’10. Several times Debbie complains that the company offered “the same” proposal. Taken literally this is not accurate, since, though the proposal was similar, there were several key differences.   

Radio Piece: Breaking Down AVI at Hunter College

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Tue, 10/20/2009 - 13:40
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The night of the Hunter College rally UNITE HERE Local 100 lead organizer Gilbert Palacios and Hunter College cashier and Local 100 committee member, Deborah Johnson, appeared on WBAI's Building Bridges.  They talk about the situation with AVI, the moral responsibility of Hunter College, the strength of the union, and they even give a couple shout outs to Stir It Up!  The relevant part begins at 14:48.  

Here's the link:

http://www.archive.org/stream/BuildingBridgesObamaIcePoliciesHunterCollegeCafeteriaWorkersProtest

Boycott AVI at Hunter College, Thursday October 29th!

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Fri, 10/16/2009 - 19:26
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Boycott Announcement!


Unless AVI Foodsystems agrees to maintain the health benefits and pension that the Hunter College cafeteria workers received last year and gives the workers a reasonable wage increase, there will be a boycott of all AVI food service operations at Hunter College, including the 3rd floor Main Cafeteria, Starbucks, Faculty Dining Room, and Brookdale Cafeteria on Thursday October 29th, 2009. 
 
 
 
What can you do?  


At Hunter College?  Download a boycott pledge sheet, start circulating it and contact us with the results!
 
At another school that contracts AVI for food service?  Contact us to find out how you can fight in solidarity with the Hunter College and Sarah Lawrence College AVI workers!
 
 
Background:

For more about what's going on with AVI in New York, check out videos here, here and here. Some more background and details coming early next week.  Check back for more!

Pictures are of October 5th Hunter College rally in support of Hunter cafeteria workers.  Pictures taken by Shane Velazquez.

Video: Hunter College Rallies for Cafeteria Worker Benefits

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Tue, 10/13/2009 - 11:50
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There was a great rally at Hunter College last Monday.  Faculty, students and workers rallied together in protest of AVI's refusal to maintain the pension and the health benefits that the Hunter College cafeteria workers have received in the past.   President Jennifer Raab and the Hunter College administration were also put on notice:  by contracting AVI to operate the cafeteria, Hunter College is morally responsible for the company's refusal to continue providing free family health benefits to the cafeteria workers.  The video:

All footage from the video was taken by Professor/Filmaker and Professional Staff Congress Hunter Chapter Chair, Tami Gold's, film class.  It was edited by Fivel Rothberg.   Updates on the Hunter College situation coming shortly. 

NY Daily News Covers Hunter College Struggle

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Thu, 10/08/2009 - 15:46
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Here at Stir It Up, we have been closely involved with workers at Hunter College who are fighting for healthcare and a fair contract.  Today, the New York Daily News covered the issue and the rally we had announced here last week.  Check out the article!
 
 

 

AVI Foodsystems: 'Welcome to New York'

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Fri, 10/02/2009 - 12:42
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“Welcome to New York, AVI. This is what it is…pension….health insurance!”
                                                 -Lisa Cooper, Food Service Worker at Hunter College, 24 years
 
 
This coming Monday (October 5th) outside Hunter West at 68th and Lexington, at 3:00pm, the Hunter College community is giving AVI its unofficial welcome to the school. Students, faculty and workers are coming out to protest AVI’s refusal to give the Hunter College cafeteria workers the health benefits and pension that they received last year.
 
Just this year, AVI made a serious move into the New York market of higher education food service—taking over the food service contracts at both Hunter College and Sarah Lawrence College.  The problem is, based on its early behavior, AVI doesn’t realize that in New York, established job standards for food service workers are to be respected, not undercut. 
 
At Hunter College, after AVI refused to assume the workers’ contract, which included free family health insurance, a pension and reasonable annual raises, the workers—some of whom have been working at Hunter College for decades—organized a work stoppage (watch a powerful video of the footage here) and demanded that the company maintain their health benefits and pension. 
 
Unfortunately, this action was not enough, as AVI continued to refuse to assume the terms of the previous collective bargaining agreement. Fortunately, the Hunter College community has lined up in support of the workers in this struggle; and the fight is far from over. 
 
In addition to regular lunchtime leaflet drops all over the cafeteria, and a petition drive that has so far resulted in hundreds of student signatures, last week the Hunter College Chapter of the Professional Staff Congress (PSC)—the CUNY system faculty union—passed a resolution expressing its support for the Hunter College cafeteria workers. Tami Gold, the PSC Hunter College Chapter President wrote to her colleagues: “On September 24, 2009 the Hunter Chapter of the PSC unanimously voted to endorse the Monday, Oct 5 rally in support of the Cafeteria workers, who are represented by UNITE HERE Local 100, in their fight for decent wages, pensions and health benefits.”  The momentum is building!
 
Meanwhile at Sarah Lawrence, AVI, having just taken over the food service contract this year, has so far refused to grant the cafeteria workers a fair process for forming a union. This Wednesday, over ten workers and five students did a surprise delegation of an AVI manager, demanding that the company agree to a fair process for recognizing a union if a majority  want one. We’ll have more on this delegation, including a video of the action, early next week.
 
Sarah Lawrence workers and students are going be at the rally at Hunter College this Monday, to join in sending AVI this message: If you do business at our university, you better do right by our cafeteria workers!     
 
If you live in the New York area, join us at the rally!
 
Date: Monday, October 5th 2009
Time: 3:00 PM
 Location: Outside Hunter College West at 68th and Lexington 
 

 

Video: Workers Rally at Hunter College Cafeteria

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Thu, 09/17/2009 - 10:57
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While politicians in Washington quarrel over health care reform, Unite Here Local 100 members at the Hunter College cafeteria took the future of their health coverage into their own hands last Thursday. AVI Foodsystems, a food service company that took over the food service contract at Hunter from Sodexo this fall, has thus far failed to provide the health care coverage or pension plan that the Hunter College cafeteria workers received from their previous employer.   


In response to AVI’s refusal to sign a contract that provides these benefits, workers organized a union meeting in the middle of the Hunter College main cafeteria….in the middle of the lunch hour rush.   As you can see below in the videos, food service workers stopped serving lunch at the cafeteria at Hunter College and rallied for health benefits, pension and a reasonable wage increase.   The cafeteria managers, as you can imagine, were not too happy.   I’ll keep you all up to date as events unfold in these workers’ fight for health benefits and a pension.   

 

 

If you live in the New York area and want to get involved, contact us and we'll let you know how you can take action in solidarity with these workers.

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