Orange And Irvington School Cafeteria Workers Vote To Strike
by Ashley Wood
In New Jersey, the 110 cafeteria workers that serve Orange and Irvington’s school children hot, affordable food have voted to authorize a strike. The workers, employed by private food service contractor Sodexo, are currently in union contract negotiations with the company and say Sodexo is refusing to negotiate the wages, health care and other benefits their families need.
“We love our jobs and love seeing the kids everyday,” said Leslie Williams who works at Lincoln Elementary School. “Sodexo makes billions in profits because of the hard work of employees like us, and all we are asking for is a fair wage and affordable health care.”
Sodexo employees in the districts earn as little as $7.35 an hour and many cannot afford the company’s family health care plan. Workers hope that a strike can be avoided, but are prepared to walk out if the company will not agree to pay family sustaining wages. With the strike authorized, workers could walk out as soon as tomorrow.
“The workers who are committed to our school children need to be making enough to take care of their own kids,” said Kevin Brown, New Jersey Director of 32BJ. “Workers’ raises would make a big difference in their lives and should have little to no impact on New Jersey’s taxpayers.”
The company’s cafeteria employees are standing up for better jobs across New Jersey. In April, Pittsgrove Sodexo school workers went on a one day strike to protest the company’s violations of workers’ rights. West Orange Sodexo workers have also filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board. Ocean school cafeteria recently ratified a new contract with good raises.
In New Jersey, approximately 7,000 school cafeteria workers are employed by private sector contractors like Sodexo.
With more than 120,000 members in eight states and the District of Columbia, including 1,000 school cafeteria workers in New Jersey, 32BJ is the largest property services union in the country. 32BJ represents many other school cafeteria workers in New Jersey, and is proud to assist the Orange and Irvington Sodexo workers (members of Local 2552) in their fight to win a fair contract.
Orange And Irvington School Cafeteria Workers Vote To Strike
originally appeared on
SEIU.org
on Tuesday, Jun 1, 2010.
Posted:
June 1st, 2010 |
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