News-Letter

Media Credit: Laura Bitner Union Rep. Gladys Burrell, who works in the Fresh Food Cafe, has been at the center of discussions with Aramark.

More than a year after Aramark began providing dining services at Hopkins, employees' contracts - and the benefits they get - are still up in the air.

The company has been negotiating with the employee's union, Local 7 Unite HERE, to create healthcare provisions, determine vacation time regulation and handle concerns that long-time workers were being treated unfairly.

"Aramark are the worst company we've ever seen," a Charles St. Market employee said. "They treat us like animals."

Aramark employees chose not to be named because they are not under contract and are afraid of retribution for their comments.

After a series of meetings with union head Gladys Burrell, an employee at the Fresh Food Café, Aramark addressed concerns that senior workers were being given progressively fewer hours to work per week. Employees expressed concern that this was an attempt by the company to gradually phase out older employees.

Senior workers are now able to pick their hours first when Aramark generates a weekly work schedule for the employees, according to Burrell.

Burrell said that meetings are being conducted now to fix the vacation and unemployment problems, and to get a signed contract worked out for everybody.

Currently, no contract exists, only a "guideline" being followed until something is finalized.

Workers have complained that their colleagues are fired at the slightest provocation, no matter how many years they have worked for Hopkins Dining Services.

Additionally, per company policy, Aramark employees at Hopkins are let go over the summer when students are not in school, and they have to receive unemployment wages until right before school restarts in the fall, when they are re-hired.

Aramark refused to comment.

Another Market employee said, "Managers walk by and don't even say 'good morning.' Even the union isn't nice to us. Every day somebody gets fired."

In response to workers' complaints Burrell said, "You can't make everybody happy. We try to accommodate everyone, but you have to think about who we're working with. Some people want too much. We have to do the best with what we have. Some people you can help, and some you can't."

Continued...

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