Employee relations questionable for food service bidders
Xavier’s Sodexo employees express job satisfaction, discontentment with union
Kelly Shaw
Senior News Writer
Sodexo, Inc., Xavier’s current food service provider, may cause students to question their business practices, but its employees that work at Xavier seem to be satisfied with the company.
Sodexo is currently Xavier’s food service provider, but their contract is set to end on May 30.
“I just love the job period,” said Pinky Brandy, a worker in the Hoff Dining Center. “One hundred percent, yes, I want Sodexo to stay.”
Brandy was more enthused about Sodexo than she was about the union that she and most of her co-workers belong to.
“The majority [of the workers] don’t like the union. If it wasn’t for the union, a lot of things would be better for us. When we didn’t have it, I still liked working here,” said Brandy.
The majority of the 156 Sodexo workers at Xavier belong to a joint union called the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union (HERE).
After years of protest and reported anti-union intimidation from Sodexo, pro-union Xavier employees were able to engage in a collective bargaining agreement five years ago.
Dan Yaeger, general manager of Sodexo on Xavier’s campus, who is not a member of the union, is optimistic about the bidding process.
“We understand it was a business process because of the fact that they haven’t been out to bid for a while. It’s a great opportunity for us to bring some new ideas to the table,” said Yaeger. “Sodexo has had a good long term relationship with Xavier, and I’d like to see that continue.”
Yaeger stated that the concerns the staff does have are about continuing employment if the food provider does change.
“Anybody in this situation would have concerns,” said Yaeger. “It’s up to the individual companies as to whether they will continue to employ current workers.
While Xavier employees seem to be content with Sodexo’s treatment, other Sodexo employees from across the country have complained about the company’s treatment of workers.
According to corporatewatch.org, only 12 percent of Sodexo employees belong to a union. Complaints about intimidation tactics from management have also surfaced at colleges such as Fordham University, Northern Kentucky University, DePauw University and even Xavier before the unionization was established.
The two other companies in the running for the food service contract next year, Chartwells and Aramark, have also had bouts with their workers.
Chartwells has suffered protests from workers in the past, most recently in September 2007 at Trinity College. Students attending Louisiana State University and Southern Connecticut State University have also participated in protests against the company.
The Northeastern News recently researched Northeastern University’s experience with the company, finding that Chartwells had a good relationship with its employees, who voted against unionizing.
Across the country, union employees of Aramark are disappointed with the working conditions of the company. Earlier this month union members who work in Wall Street cafeterias marched in protest of Aramark owner, Goldman Sachs.
In February of this year Chicago Public Radio (CPR) covered a protest of union workers from Aramark who provide food and cleaning services at the Cook County Jail and county hospitals. Members of UNITE HERE and Service Employees International Union were “calling for governments to end their contracts with the company because they say Aramark has cut the hours of employees, which cut into their benefits,” said CPR broadcaster Tony Arnold.
These protests coincide with disappointment from Aramark workers at many colleges. Students from Yale to the University of Minnesota have become involved in protests questioning Aramark’s treatment of their workers for years.
Still, Aramark executives maintain their innocence, claiming unions misinform workers about the company. The Yale Daily News quoted Aramark spokeswoman Kristine Grow as stating they have a good relationship with over 30 unions across the country.
Xavier administrators will now be left the task of sorting out the arguments and facts of each company, and Xavier workers and students will be able to taste the results, starting after Sodexo’s contract expires on May 30.
Professor Profile: Dr. John Getz
Michelle Rosmarin
Contributing Writer
Dr. John Getz is a professor in the English department who specializes in 19th century American literature. A graduate of Xavier himself, Dr. Getz shares his insights on the university and on English in general.
What colleges did you attend?
I graduated from Xavier with my Bachelors in 1967, then I went to the University of Pennsylvania for my Masters in 1968 and my Ph.D. in 1977.
What classes do you teach here?
I teach various American Literature classes and one in world literature. I also teach many sections of 205, Literature and the Moral Imagination.
What is the biggest difference about Xavier from when you were a student?
There are many differences. Students today are more affluent and more live on campus. The basketball team is also a lot better. The biggest difference of all is that the school is co-educational. It wasn’t when I graduated.
Dr. John Getz
I heard you worked for the Newswire while you were a student. Is that true?
Yes, I worked on it three of my four years here and I was the editor my senior year. I also spent a number of years as the advisor when I came back to teach.
What would you be doing if you weren’t teaching?
I’d like to be either an attorney or a journalist. Those are two fields that really interest me.
Are there any changes you would still like to see?
It’s not a change really, but I’d like to see a return to people reading books as opposed to using the internet. I worry we’re so technologically oriented that we forget the old-fashioned pleasure and challenge of reading and being in dialogue with books.
What do you like to do in your free time?
My wife and I like to watch movies and go on walks and I like to play with my grandchildren and visit my kids. I also like to garden but I don’t have much time to do it.
Why did you decide to study English?
I’m better in language than in math or science and I just really liked it. I like reading books and I had some good English teachers. I just had a general interest in language.
If you could be any animal what would you be?
I really like dogs, so I would like to be a dog and get to hang out with other dogs.
Do you have a favorite book?
No, I have lots of favorites. I like finding new writers from both the past and the present. I’m mostly interested in 19th and 20th century writers.
Do you have any advice for your students?
Show up for class, read books and be alert to and trust your responses to books. If you like something or don’t like something in a book try to figure out why. Sometimes we overlook what a book is saying by analyzing it.
Police Notes
March 13, 9:35 p.m.– A student observed smoking marijuana near Hinkle Hall was cited for drug abuse.
March 14, 2:38 a.m.– A student walking down Herald Avenue near Husman Hall hiding a six-pack of beer under his or her jacket was cited for underage consumption.
March 14, 6:27 p.m.– A non-student operating a vehicle in the gravel path near A lot was escorted off of campus after admitting being on campus to steal scrap metal.
March 16, 12:54 a.m.– A non-student causing a disturbance in Kuhlman Hall was escorted off campus. Campus Police and Residence Life subsequently checked on the well being of the intoxicated student the subject was visiting.
March 16, 2:52 p.m.– Campus Police, Residence Life, Physical Plant and Cincinnati Fire and Rescue responded to a fire alarm in the Commons. Investigation revealed that a grease fire in a first floor apartment activated the sprinklers, causing minor damage to the first floor.
March 18, 2:57 p.m.– An employee reported that an unknown subject keyed his or her vehicle in the Woodburn lot.
March 19, 3:40 p.m.– Campus Police responded to Edgecliff Hall for a report of a suspicious person. Two building keys were confiscated from a former student who claimed to have permission to be in the building.
March 24, 3:27 a.m.– Campus Police and Cincinnati Fire and Rescue responded to a fire alarm in Alter Hall. An investigation was unable to determine the source of the alarm and the system was reset.
March 24, 5:31 p.m.– A student reported that someone may have tried to damage his or her vehicle over spring break.
Police Note of the Week
March 18, 5:25 a.m.– Campus Police and Residence Life responded to a report from students living on the first floor of Husman Hall that an unknown male subject climbed into their room through the window and exited the room through the main entrance. A thorough search of the building yielded no suspects.
Meghan Berneking
Campus News Editor
XU scholarships
Applications are now being accepted for the Paul L. O’Connor, S.J. Scholarship and the Thomas G. Savage, S.J. Scholarships. The O’Connor Scholarship is awarded to a full-time student currently in the junior class and will be worth $5,500, applied to the winner’s tuition for his or her senior year. It is awarded by the Financial Aid and Scholarship Committee in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and contributions, both academic and extracurricular, to Xavier. Students from all three colleges are eligible, provided they plan to be full-time students for the entire 2008-2009 academic year.
Two Savage Scholarships, worth $9,500 each, will be awarded to two full-time students who are currently sophomores or juniors. Recipients will be selected for their dedication to and excellence in the humanities. Applications for the O’Connor and Savage Scholarships are available only through the departmental chair of the student’s major. The application deadline is April 10, 2008. For more information, students should consult the departmental chair of their major. Contact Mary Behan at x3171 for more information.
Life after XU
Join Peer Leadership Team for the “Now What? Leadership After XU” workshop on April 8. The workshop is for all students. Come and talk with XU alum Dave Ostmann from 4-5 p.m. in the Clocktower Lounge and also hear a presentation by the Student Alumni Association. Come get inspired and start networking for your future. Contact xuplt@xavier.edu or x3662 for more information.
Honor cords
Honor cords have arrived and are now available at the Bookstore for those students who qualify for them. Please be sure to bring your All Card or some other form of photo ID when you come in to purchase the chords. Contact the Xavier Bookstore at 745-3311 with questions.
Supervisor awards
Win lunch off-campus for you and your Xavier supervisor at P.F. Chang’s, Applebee’s or Max and Erma’s. Nominate your supervisor for Xavier’s Student Employment Supervisor of the Year Award. The winning supervisor and nominating student will win lunch. Complete the nomination form and submit it to Gallagher 310 or to crawford@xavier.edu by Friday, April 4. Nominating students must be employed as part of the Student Employment Program. The winner will be announced during this year’s Student Employee Appreciation Week, April 13-18. Contact Angela at x4881 with questions.
Lecture
Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar James Sheehan of Stanford University will speak on the decline of militarism and the rise of the civilian state in Europe at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 27 in the Conaton Board Room. This lecture is free and open to the public, and a reception will follow. Contact Rachel Chrastil of the history department at chrastilr@xavier.edu or x3724 for more information.
Friday’s fundraiser
Come to TGIFriday’s on Wednesday and Thursday, April 2 and 3, to support Team-in-Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Twenty percent of sales on these days will go directly to LLS if you present a flyer. Help raise money for LLS while having a good time and great food at Fridays. Contact Susan Booth, at booths@xavier.edu, or call x3004 for more information.
Cooking classes
Join Advocates for Animals as we learn to prepare a variety of delicious vegan dishes and discuss the impact our food choices have on the world around us. From 1-4 p.m. on Sundays, March 30, April 6 and April 13 in the Village kitchen, AFAX is hosting free “Conscious Cooking” classes taught by nationally renowned vegan chef, Mark Stroud. RSVP to Jacki Sprinkle at sprinklej@xavier.edu.
