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Catholic Social Teaching and Union Organizing

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 11:59
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There's another great article out about the organizing led by students, faculty, campus dining workers and UNITE HERE at Georgetown University.  This one, from America Magazine, notes that "for those familiar with union organizing, the relative civility of the campaign was notable. In large measure, this was because Georgetown took seriously its obligation to implement Catholic Social Teaching."

Check it out here: http://www.americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm?blog_id=2&entry_id=4105.

 

Dominican University Cafeteria Workers Win Union

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 14:49
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Approximately 30 campus dining workers at Dominican University have won union recognition from their employer, Chartwells, choosing to join UNITE HERE Local 1.

"I'm proud of the work we do, and I’m glad that Chartwells respected us and let me and my coworkers choose what we wanted. I support the union because we deserve a voice on the job. Now we will be able to negotiate for better wages and benefits that will move my family forward, and make life better for the workers that come after us," said Frank Studaway, a cook in the Dominican University dining halls.

Recently, a majority of Dominican campus dining workers, with support from Dominican faculty, students, and clergy asked Chartwells for a fair process to choose a union. The company agreed to a process and recognized UNITE HERE Local 1 on Thursday, February 10th.

Liesl Orenic, a history professor at Dominican, said, "We value community at Dominican, so it's exciting to see that honored by our food service vendor. Dominican's mission of creating a more just and humane world is strengthened when all members of the Dominican community, including dining service workers, have a voice."

Donna M. Carroll, President of Dominican University, added, "As a Catholic University, we believe strongly in the dignity of the human person and his or her right to free association, clear voice and a just wage. The Chartwells workers are part of the Dominican University community, and we care about the quality of their working life. I appreciate the forthright manner in which Chartwells management and UNITE HERE Local 1 are approaching this union organizing drive."

The Dominican University workers are the third group of cafeteria workers at a Catholic college or university to win union representation with UNITE HERE in the past three months. In November, over 200 dining workers at Loyola University Chicago joined UNITE HERE Local 1 and more than 50 dining workers at St. Peters College in Jersey City, NJ, joined UNITE HERE Local 100.

In joining UNITE HERE, the Dominican workers join the leading union of food service workers in North America, joining dining workers from over 100 campuses across the United States and Canada. In Chicago, the Dominican workers join dining workers at Loyola University and DePaul University who are also members of UNITE HERE Local 1. Campus dining workers at De Paul recently won a great new contract, which included significant improvements in wages and healthcare benefits as well as protections for immigrant workers. 

St. Peter's College Cafeteria Workers Win Union

Submitted by Ian Mikusko on Tue, 11/23/2010 - 12:00
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More than 50 campus dining workers at St. Peter’s College have voted to unionize and join UNITE HERE Local 100. Campus dining workers at New Jersey’s only Jesuit, Catholic college are employees of the multinational food service company Sodexo.
 
The Sodexo workers at St. Peter’s voted on Monday, November 22nd to join UNITE HERE Local 100. The workers will now prepare to negotiate a first contract.
 
“I support the union because we deserve a voice on the job. Now we will be able to negotiate for better wages and benefits that will mean a lot to our families,” said Cleveland Williams, who has worked at St. Peter’s for 4 years.
 
Emily Martinez, a St. Peter’s cafeteria worker said, “To me, having a union means having fairness. St. Peter’s is a Catholic college and fairness and justice are values for everyone here. For me as a Catholic, I’m glad we were able to choose to form a union and make these values real.”
 
The St. Peter’s workers are the second group of cafeteria workers at a Catholic college or university to win union representation with UNITE HERE in the past week. On November 16th, over 200 dining workers at Loyola University Chicago joined UNITE HERE Local 1.
 
In joining UNITE HERE Local 100, the St. Peter’s workers join campus food service workers at fourteen other campuses including City University of New York, Manhattan College, New York Law School, Sarah Lawrence College, and the New School. With UNITE HERE Local 100, campus dining workers at New York-area university and college campuses have achieved contracts that improve wages, ensure a safe and humane workload, and get access to affordable family health care. 

Campus Dining Workers at Loyola University Chicago Win Union

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Wed, 11/17/2010 - 14:03
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After months of organizing, over 200 campus dining workers at Loyola University Chicago have won union representation, choosing to join UNITE HERE Local 1.

"I feel blessed. A union means a better life for me and my family," said Janet Irving, a Loyola campus dining worker and member of the worker organizing committee that had been building support for the union at Loyola, one of the leading Catholic Jesuit universities in the nation.

In October, a majority of Loyola campus dining workers, with support from Loyola faculty, students, and clergy approached the employer about a fair process to choose a union. The company agreed to a process and recognized UNITE HERE Local 1 on Tuesday, November 16th.

The campus dining workforce at Loyola comes from all over the world, with 16 different countries of origin. Many dining workers at Loyola have served the student and faculty community for decades.

With UNITE HERE, the Loyola workers join the leading union of food service workers in North America, joining dining workers from over 100 campuses across the United States and Canada. In Chicago, the Loyola workers join dining workers at DePaul University who are also members of UNITE HERE Local 1 and recently won a great new contract, which included significant improvements in wages and healthcare benefits as well as protections for immigrant workers.

The worker organizing committee at Loyola will enter into contract negotiations with their employer in the coming months. For now, they are celebrating. "I love taking care of the students in the dining halls, and I feel great that now I will get to do it as a union member," Loyola dining service worker Eva Rangel said.

 

Dining Workers Win Fair Process to Choose Union at Loyola University Chicago

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Wed, 11/03/2010 - 12:07
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Campus dining workers at the Loyola University Chicago, one of the premier Catholic, Jesuit universities in the country, are celebrating today. Their employer has agreed to a fair process for its employees at Loyola to choose whether to join a union. On October 13, campus dining workers at the school approached their managers asking for exactly that.
 
“We are thrilled that the company has chosen to respect us and listen to our concerns,” said Eva Rangel, a member of the worker organizing committee that has been building support for a union at Loyola. “This fair process will ensure my coworkers are not afraid to choose to support a union here.”
 
On October 20, members of the Loyola community had shown their support and appreciation for the workers’ service at a special blessing of the workers at St. Gertrude’s Church near campus.
 
The campus dining workforce at Loyola comes from all over the world, with 16 different countries of origin. There are over 190 workers total.
 
The worker organizing committee at Loyola has been consulting with UNITE HERE, the leading union of food service workers in the United States.

 

Location Change for Loyola Solidarity Event!

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Tue, 10/19/2010 - 17:03
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Greetings, folks.  If you were planning to join the Loyola Chicago campus dining workers on Wednesday, please note a new location for the event:

St. Gertrude's Church
6214 N. Glenwood Ave.
Chicago, IL 60660

The church is at the corner of Granville and Glenwood, about a 10 minute walk from campus. 

 

Breaking News at Loyola University Chicago

Submitted by Kyle Schafer on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 17:29
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This afternoon, campus dining workers at Loyola University Chicago delivered petitions to their general manager demanding a fair process to form a union.  A worker organizing committee, which includes worker leaders from locations across Loyola and across shifts and departments, had been training and organizing underground over the recent months in preparation for today. The committee had about 70% of their workers signed on the petition they delivered.


The worker organizing committee from Loyola University Chicago

“I am here because I want to have a voice on the job and to get more respect,” Carolina Aguilar said recently about why she is a member of the worker organizing committee. .

Danielle Wisnasky, a Loyola senior who has worked part-time in the cafeterias since she was a freshman and who is also part of the organizing committee, said, “As a student at Loyola, it is discouraging to work in an environment where the Jesuit mission is abused and overlooked.”

The campus dining workforce at Loyola comes from all over the world, with 16 different countries of origin. There are over 180 workers total, many of whom are immigrants and most of whom people of color. 

The committee leaders see their organizing not just as a way to change their jobs but also as a way to prepare to change the rest of their lives. “I want to be part of the organizing of the union because it will be something that will give us, all who are part of it, more life experience to know how to fight for anything we want,” said Eva Rangel.

Students and faculty have quickly begun mobilizing support for the workers. If you are a student at Loyola, you can sign a solidarity letter here. If you are a professor at Loyola, you can sign one here. There will also be a gathering of support on Wednesday, October 20 at 4 pm at the “Ashtray” on Loyola’s Lake Shore campus. [UPDATE 10/19: The event has been moved to St. Gertrude's Church at 6214 N. Glenwood, a short walk from campus.]

If you don’t go to Loyola at all but want to show your support for these workers as well as workers at all Catholic universities, sign our national solidarity letter here. 

We’ll keep you up to date as the organizing and solidarity efforts unfold.

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