25 signatures reached
To: Edinboro U. President Guiyou Huang, PASSHE Chancellor Dan Greenstein and Food Service Contractors in Pennsylvania
Food service workers deserve better! We work hard to feed Edinboro U. students. Honor our contract!
In these most uncertain times, Food Service Workers at all PASSHE institutions are on the front lines, often marginalized and overlooked. As Essential Workers, we call on President Huang and Chancellor Greenstein to demand that food service contractors treat workers fairly and commit to honoring our union contract!
Why is this important?
We are the hardworking men and women who feed students day-in and day-out at Edinboro University. We have a union contract that ensures we are paid fairly, treated with respect and provided with benefits that help us take care of our families.
We can't allow these protections to be threatened by the PA State System of Higher Education's (PASSHE) merger of the food service operations at Edinboro, Indiana University of PA, Slippery Rock University, and Clarion University. Starting next academic year (2021-22), one food service contractor will feed students at all four campuses under one agreement. Food service companies are preparing their bids now. The winning company will be chosen this fall.
We call on Dr. Huang to demand that the winning company honor our existing union contract as well as the contracts of our union brothers and sisters at Edinboro and Slippery Rock. The winning company should also grant workers at Clarion University a fair process for joining a union so that they too can negotiate for fair wages, benefits and working conditions.
We are prepared to take action if this arrangement threatens our union contract. We are well aware of how unfairly many nonunion food service workers are treated and how poorly they are compensated. We will do whatever it takes to preserve the fair treatment, pay and respect we have fought for!
