About 500 Northwestern University dining hall workers — cooks, cashiers, baristas, dishwashers and other staff — went on strike before 6 a.m. Monday, setting up picket lines at each of the university’s cafeterias and rallying with signs near the Weber Arch.
The workers, who are part of the UNITE HERE Local 1 union, are seeking a new contract “with family-sustaining wages and increased pension contributions,” according to a press release shared by the union on Monday.
The workers’ previous contract with Compass, an international foodservice company, expired at the end of last August. In late February, they voted “by an overwhelming majority” to authorize a strike.
In an email to the Northwestern community, NU Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Luke Figora said two of the campus’ four major “dining commons” would be closed on Monday — Elder and Foster-Walker. The Sargent and Allison dining halls remain open, but “hours of operation may be adjusted based on staffing levels,” according to the university.
“These workers are the heart and soul of Northwestern University and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” said Karen Kent, the president of UNITE HERE Local 1. “Compass Group’s failure to agree to a fair contract means that workers are on the picket line instead of feeding students and doing the work they love.”
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In a statement to the RoundTable, Northwestern spokesperson Jon Yates said the union has not yet voted on Compass’ latest offer, which includes “an immediate 16% raise to all associates, back pay bonuses, $7 per hour raises over the life of the contract, 13 paid holidays, 10 sick days and an 80% increase in pension contributions,” according to Yates.
It’s unclear when that offer will be voted on, how long the strike could last and how Compass is staffing the dining halls during the walkout.
“I worry that I’ll never be able to retire because the company is not giving enough to our pension,” said Veronica Reyes, who’s been a cashier at Foster-Walker for 15 years. “We deserve better.”
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