Group of dining workers continues strike, holds speakout in Johnson Center Cinema

Video: C2M's George Yanez compiles footage from Thursday's event in the Johnson Center Cinema. After the event, workers marched through the JC to the North Plaza.
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UPDATED 9/09/10 3:38 p.m. post-protest

Day two of a strike by about 10 percent of Mason’s dining services work force kicked off Thursday on campus with a Service Employees International Union-organized speakout in the Johnson Center Cinema and a protest at the heart of campus.

Workers Andres Ujueta and Cristela Morano, who have been with Mason’s dining service provider Sodexo for two years and 21 years respectively, said management treats them badly and they are paid very poor wages.

After the workers spoke, protesters poured onto campus carrying signs, some of which displayed photographs of cuts or grease burns suffered by workers. They wore SEIU T-shirts and between the color-photo placards, chants, and megaphone, appeared very tightly organized.

About 80 people showed up for the talk and stayed through the North Plaza protest, including SEIU organizers and nine Sodexo workers from other operations in other states as far as Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, said SEIU spokesperson Matt Painter. About 15 students were among the crowd, and at least 50 workers. Sodexo employs over 500 workers.

Morano held up a sign with a picture of her finger, which had been badly cut and stitched after an accident on a cutting machine. She blamed Sodexo for not providing a second mesh glove. Another sign claimed a worker received a grease burn because management did not supply a stool and the ovens are too high to reach into.

Blue fliers put up by “Mason Dining” were scattered across Johnson Center tables Thursday morning arguing that SEIU is conducting a “smear campaign” and that workplace hazards are addressed at monthly meetings and that health inspectors passed the dining facilities without concern as recently as Tuesday.

The flier reiterated statements by management that all employees are trained in safety and that all proper equipment is provided.
Ted Kinnaman, the chair of philosophy department, and state Sen. Dave Marsden (VA-37) also spoke in support of the workers.

Mason-location Sodexo employees enter the Johnson Center Cinema in preparation for the speakout. (George Yanez)

UPDATED 9/09/10 10:10 a.m. before cinema speakout

A group of George Mason University’s Sodexo-employed dining workers continued their strike Thursday in order to protest alleged unsafe working conditions and improper treatment.

With support from Service Employees International Union organizers and workers from other Sodexo-contracted locations across the country, day two of the strike closed the same operations as Wednesday: George’s, two Jazzman’s locations, Café a la Carte and the Jazzman’s in the Prince William campus. The several dozen Sodexo workers plan to attend today’s “speakout” session in the Johnson Center Cinema 10:30 p.m., an event open for the public for workers to share their accounts of alleged unsafe working conditions and retaliation and mistreatment from Mason-location Sodexo management.

In a phone-call interview this morning, Resident District Manager of Sodexo operations at Mason Denise Ammaccapane said that by Mason Dining tally, the total number of workers who did not show up for work Wednesday to be 51 people. Matt Painter, a representative from SEIU’s local 32BJ, said that Mason Dining’s number is not accurate, and that over 100 people were present for yesterday’s events at the plaza. Sodexo employs over 500 workers at Mason.

“We’re open for business as usual today, just like yesterday,” said Ammaccapane.

According to Painter, the list of speakers at today’s event includes: a few of Mason’s striking workers, a Sodexo-employed worker from another location, GMU for Workers’ Rights member Jason Von Kundra, and local Democratic state senator Dave Marsden (VA-37) will also be in attendance. Painter also said that Theodore J. Kinnaman, the chair of the philosophy department at Mason, is expected to speak as well.

Related:
 >> Read last night's coverage
 >> Read Wednesday's statement on safey from Sodexo

Connect2Mason continues to follow and investigate this story. For the most up-to-date coverage, follow C2M on Twitter.