Twenty people were arrested at Ohio State University today, as part of a rally protesting the mistreatment of campus Sodexo food service workers seeking to improve their conditions. The Columbus Dispatch reported on the protest today, citing the “poverty wages” that Sodexo pays “and that most employees are part-time and don’t receive health-care coverage.”

About 10 workers and 10 OSU students marched from the quad on campus down High Street, the main thoroughfare that runs alongside campus. The group sat down in a straight line right in front of the new student union, on city property. Linking arms and chanting “O-H-I-O…Clean Up So-dex-o!!,” the group received two police warnings before being arrested and put in a paddy wagon.

Workers–one of whom was Wayne Suber, who is in a wheelchair–were supported by other students and workers who continued rallying, chanting, and holding banners on the side of the street, protesting Sodexo’s actions against workers seeking to form a union. This activity is the basis of 16 unfair labor practice charges pending before the National Labor Relations Board in eight states.

Three news helicopters hovered overhead as over 200 OSU students, community members, and service workers protested. They were joined by an international delegation of French and British trade unionists who are supporting U.S. Sodexo workers who are standing up.

Sodexo employees at OSU’s athletics facilities are paid poverty wages and most have no access to affordable health care. Sodexo workers at Ohio State University and on campuses across the country who are campaigning to improve their working conditions have come under attack by Sodexo in recent months, including interrogations, surveillance, and even firings of union activists.

Among those who stood up for their rights are the Snell family. At least 12 of Sara Snell’s immediate family members work for Sodexo at OSU–and more if you count in-laws. Since starting work for Sodexo in 2002, Sara has always needed a second job to pay the bills and raise her kids.

“I want better for my kids. I won’t let them work for Sodexo,” Sara says. “I want them to have a chance to succeed by advancing on the job and Sodexo doesn’t give you that option. If someone works hard every day, they should have advancement opportunities. I don’t have that.”

Sara’s mom Marcia makes only $14,000 a year, can’t afford health insurance, and has no paid sick days.

“I need health insurance, but can’t afford it. I need eyeglasses but can’t buy them,” Marcia says. “Obviously, I do my job well or they wouldn’t have kept me for 10 years. I’m tired of begging for a raise and I’m tired of sacrificing time with my kids for a job that keeps us in poverty.”

“If we were all treated the same–if the rules applied to everybody–then we’d be a lot happier in our job. I see women who are hired earn less than the men who get hired at the same time for the same job. I don’t think that’s fair.”

The Snells want more for their family and their community, so they took a stand.

Another Sodexo employee who marched today is Sandy Dailey, a Sodexo food service worker at OSU. Though she’s worked for Sodexo for 9 years, she’s never had access to affordable health insurance. On just $9 an hour, Sandy can’t afford to pay for medical care out of pocket–so she hasn’t seen a doctor in 3 years, despite having a serious heart condition.

Sandy has already had two heart attacks at work after having to lift boxes of syrup for soda–some as heavy as 60 pounds. She is supposed to take medicine for her high blood pressure but can’t afford it. The last time she complained of chest pain and declined to lift the boxes, her Sodexo supervisor didn’t schedule her to work for a whole week afterwards.

“So I lift the boxes,” she says, tears streaming down her face. “I know I shouldn’t, but what choice do I have? If I don’t do it, I don’t get scheduled.”

Sodexo workers from France and England joined the Ohio State University march, standing in solidarity with the U.S. Sodexo workers. French and British unions along with SEIU are working together to secure a global guarantee from Sodexo to improve pay and working conditions and guarantee the right of Sodexo workers to be able to join a union without opposition.

Follow coverage of Clean Up Sodexo protests and strikes happening across the country this week on SEIU.org via hashtag #springcleaning.

20 More Arrests as Sodexo Protests Spread to Ohio State University

originally appeared on

SEIU.org

on Thursday, Apr 15, 2010.

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