Negotiations are underway to reach a collective food service agreement between U of T St. George, UTSC, and York University on the one hand and UNITE HERE Local 75, the union that represents foor service workers across the city, on the other.
Although the universities are at different phases in their dealings with the union, UNITE HERE Local 75 is revising workers’ rights across the board to include better wages and improved benefits. Union workers are also in talks with food service providers Aramark and Compass in an effort to reach further agreements.
The Scarborough campus is currently engaged in deliberations with UNITE HERE and Aramark. Talks have been in progress for over a year and have since enlisted the aid of a Ministry of Labour conciliator to mediate the discussions.
U of T St. George and York University have also requested to rework collective agreements with corporations Aramark and Compass and are expected to begin negotiations within the next few weeks.
Amarjeet Kaur Chhabra of UNITE HERE Local 75 says that based on the union’s record with hotels and other food service industries, an agreement with the universities is achievable.
“We are hopeful that we can arrive at new collective agreements that strengthen campus food service jobs as good jobs with decent wages and benefits,” said Chhabra in an email to The Varsity.
“We are at different stages in the bargaining process at the campuses, and it is our intention to bargain in good faith with the objective of achieving an agreement that works for everyone,” said Nicole Kennedy, Aramark’s communications director.
The current issue up for discussion between the parties is that of workers’ benefits. “We are fighting to improve these jobs so that they are jobs that can allow the workers to live with dignity,” said Chhabra.
The increase in the benefits to be achieved from these negotiations could have great impact on the lives of service workers. Since most of these jobs pay close to minimum wage, every gain is significant.
Food workers have long played an essential role on U of T campuses and “are very proud of their work serving the university community and fulfilling a mission within the broader community,” continued Chhabra.
Furthermore, some critics suggest that the universities’ students can play an integral role in lobbying for the rights of food service workers. Sabina Freiman wrote in an article for the January 19 issue of The Strand that “the issue of fair working conditions spreads beyond the workers and should raise awareness to the injustices that happen on our campus.”
Compass Group Canada, and their division of Chartwells, which provides the food services to St. Michael’s College of U of T, commented, “We respect the right of our associates to be represented by a union and look forward to commencing the bargaining process.” They declined further discussion regarding their camp’s perspective on the process of the negotiations.
Negotiations have been progressing between Aramark, Compass, and the Union for most of this past year and are expected to be resolved through Ministry of Labour arbitration.
