BURLINGTON, Vt. — The University of Vermont’s faculty union is pressing the administration to demand certain concessions in its contract talks with food service provider Sodexo.
The Executive Council and Delegates Assembly of United Academics, which represents UVM’s faculty, recently adopted a resolution addressing its concern over the treatment of the roughly 400 Sodexo workers at UVM.
A rally in support of food workers is planned Wednesday on the UVM campus.
The union said in a news release that it opposes any contract extension between Sodexo and UVM unless it contains enforceable provisions that include:
- compliance with the City of Burlington Livable Wage Ordinance, which applies to all contractors and subcontractors in the city and requires $13.94 hourly for employees who are eligible for health insurance, and $15.83 for employees who are not eligible for health insurance;
- provision of sick leave and other leave similar to that which other university employees such as the United Electrical Workers Union receive, including a minimum of two days of paid leave without penalty each year;
- a 2-3 year transition to a minimum of 40 percent locally or sustainably sourced ingredients, and a commitment to reach 70 percent sustainability levels by the end of a 10-year contract — noting that both UVM and Middlebury College are already at or above the 40 percent level.
Enrico Dinges, a spokesman for Sodexo, would not address the union’s concerns.
“We certainly respect their right to share their position from their perspective,” Dinges said. He said Sodexo is in negotiations with UVM, but was unsure when the present contract expires.
He said the company works to maintain “safe, open and inclusive” working conditions for its employees, and provides them with “meaningful wages and benefits.”
In surveys, 75 percent of former employees report positive comments about having worked for Sodexo and would recommend the company, which, he said, “is far better than industry norms.”