500 Service, Hospitality Workers At Northwestern University On Strike

EVANSTON, IL ? Almost 500 food service and hospitality workers at Northwestern University walked out on strike Monday morning in hopes to obtain a fair contract with sustainable wages and increased pension contributions.

According to the union representing the workers, Unite Here Local 1, the employees have been without a contract for six months as their contract expired on Aug. 31 last year. The strike was approved by an "overwhelming majority" on Feb. 27 and workers walked out at 6 a.m. Monday.

?I?m striking because we deserve to be able to retire with dignity,? said Veronica Reyes who has worked for 15 years as a cashier at Northwestern?s Foster-Walker Dining Hall. ?I love the students and the Northwestern community, but I worry that I?ll never be able to retire because the company is not giving enough to our pension. We deserve better."

According to the workers union, most hospitality and food service workers at Northwestern University are people of color and immigrants with 30 percent identifying as Black; 28 percent identifying as Hispanic or Latino; and 6 percent identifying as Asian.

Many employees have worked in their positions long-term and, on average, have 9.6 years of service on the campus.

?These workers are the heart and soul of Northwestern University and deserve to be treated with
dignity and respect. 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,? said Karen Kent, President of Unite Here Local 1.

In a statement, University officials said:

"The associates represented by the union are vital members of the Northwestern community, and Compass is a trusted partner to the University. We understand the importance of the ongoing contract negotiations and hope for a swift and equitable resolution."

Two student-dining halls were closed Monday due to the strike, according to officials.

"There has been a lot of unity and support from students and I think people are ready to keep fighting until they get what they deserve," Unite Here Local 1 spokesperson Sarah Lyons told Patch.