‘SEIU Lies’ Flier Appears in Johnson Center, Continues Unionization Debate

Fliers allegedly created by a group of Sodexo workers who don't agree with the unionization efforts could be found across campus last Friday. (Scanned Image)
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UPDATED 12:44 p.m. 

The flier, which claims to be “directly from the workers,” maintains that the “vast majority of Mason Dining Workers do not support the SEIU or their lies about management.”

“We are not managers and we do not officially speak for Sodexo,” it reads. “We can only speak for ourselves, hourly workers on campus, and we will not be silent in the face of SEIU aggression any longer.”

Connect2Mason was made aware of the flier shortly after 1:30 p.m. Friday when a reader noticed a stack of over 30 laying in one of Broadside’s distribution bins in the Johnson Center. Students were seen distributing more fliers by hand, and copies also appeared at Southside.

The document, which lists three of the union’s “lies” directly next to three “facts,” additionally encourages readers to visit Connect2Mason.com in order to read a previous article, posted earlier that morning, that contained a link to a recent letter on the unionization efforts released by the Student Government’s Administrative Subcommittee on Dining Services.

Some language, including discussion on workers’ wages, comes verbatim from the dining committee’s letter. David Bier, a dining committee member and co-author of the letter, says he and the other committee members had no role in the fliers’ production and distribution.

“I can guarantee, in a legally binding way, that those fliers did not come from me, Shane [Smith], [Alex] Romano or Nicola [Anderson],” said Bier. He additionally maintains that the letter didn’t come from anyone else within Student Government. [It also did not come from Connect2Mason.]
 

A Look at the Claims

The first “SEIU Lie” that the flier describes regards “unfair wages.” Emphasizing that minimum wage in Virginia is $7.25 an hour, the worker’s “fact” claims that the average hourly wage for Mason Dining workers is $10.75 an hour, and employees never start below $8.50 an hour.

SEIU views Sodexo wages as hovering “at or below the poverty line.”

In the second “SEIU Lie,” the authors refute claims that workers are fighting management  for their right to unionize, and assert that Sodexo supports workers’ right unionize “100 percent.” Citing labor law, it states that it is the worker’s choice to unionize or not to unionize.

“The SEIU has only to gather enough worker support and they are welcomed in,” it reads. “The reality is, however, that the majority of Mason Dining workers do not want the SEIU taking $50 from their paychecks every month.”

The flier additionally emphasizes that “Mason Dining managers are genuinely kind, honest and caring people,” and refutes claims that management harasses and intimidates its workers.

“The reality is that the only harassment and intimidation taking place is by SEIU organizers and some of the pro-SEIU employees against other workers who do not want to support the SEIU agenda,” the flier reads.

Before the flier’s conclusion, the authors make a neutral statement about fact-checking claims.

“We ask that students please consider both sides of this issue; investigate concerns first-hand,” it reads. “Don’t take our word or SEIU’s word for it.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THE FLiER