Editor’s note: In response to USG column, Feb. 9.
Contrary to what President Perretta claims, students are directly affected by Sodexo workers every single day.
Workers don’t have access to adequate sick days and cannot afford to take unpaid days off which exposes students to food transmitted illness.
Workers have reported supervisors mixing old expired food with new food, and being pressured to use expired ingredients. The safety and wellbeing of over 2,100 students on meal plans is at risk and is dependent on the well being of Sodexo workers.
This is a student issue.
Sodexo workers have expressed significant concerns over working conditions they must face.
While President Perretta acknowledges a need to address these concerns, he incorrectly believes that the most efficacious way to do this is for Sodexo workers to go, alone, through “channels in place within the Sodexo corporation.”
These channels have utterly failed the Sodexo workers.
The only acknowledgment from “channels in place” workers have received occurred the last two weeks when Sodexo HR C/B,ew to Denver, had a surprise meeting during the workers’ first rally, begin showing workers anti-union videos, and refused workers’ petitions, further stifling the voice of the workers.
It appears that the “channels in place” within Sodexo are in place only to perpetuate an unfair and unjust system.
President Perretta claims that USG “should not meddle in non-student matters.” Not only is the welfare of Sodexo workers a student matter, but Perretta directly contradicts the Constitution of the USG. The objective of USG is to “promote the general welfare of the University of Denver and its students, faculty, staff, alumni and the greater community associated with the University of Denver.”
It is clear that promoting the welfare of Sodexo workers, a vital part of the DU community, lies at the heart of the mission of the USG.
Moreover, if the USG seeks to represent students, it should be representing the voices of the over 800 students who wore buttons of support, over 300 students who signed a petition similar to the resolution rejected by the USG Senate, and 1000 students who accepted valentines from Sodexo workers.
This failure signifies not only an affront to these students, but a failure of Perretta as President of the USG.
Merely being “sympathetic” to workers is not enough; the USG Senate had a clear opportunity to take decisive action and do what it could to help better the working conditions of Sodexo workers.
The USG Senate in its vote, and President Perretta in his editorial, failed to realize this opportunity.
For the health and wellbeing of DU students, and for workers’ justice, we demand that the USG reconsider its decision and clearly and explicitly demonstrate its support for our Sodexo workers.
Sodexo workers deserve the right to organize free of fear and intimidation, and they deserve the help of the DU student body and its government.
Sign this letter as an author in the comments section below.
John McMahon
USG Senator, 2008-2009
Roman Valencia
Social Justice LLC
Dillon Doyle
DU Democrats President
