About 50 Northwestern-subcontracted workers gathered outside administrative offices Wednesday afternoon to protest the University’s connection with Sodexo Catering Services, the multinational service giant that employs them.
“We’re not just going to take crumbs anymore,” shouted Rafael Marquez, lead cook at 1835 Hinman and Service Workers’ Union steward. “We’re here to break bread with them in good faith to get better wages.”
The protesters shouted “Sodexo-get off it! People over profit!” as they marched across Clark Street to the Rebecca Crown Center and built a “shanty town,” consisting of three camping tents, in the plaza.
A goal of the demonstration, which lasted about an hour, was to receive attention from University President Morton O. Schapiro, said Kevin O’Donnell, a Service Employees International Union coordinator who helped organize the event.
“We asked if we could send representatives to go up and schedule a meeting with the president,” O’Donnell said. “Not to have the meeting now-just to schedule one.”
The representatives were turned away by University Police before entering, O’Donnell said.
About four UP officers had gathered outside the usually unguarded building during Marquez’s speech.
“We were notified that there was a gathering,” said UP Deputy Chief Dan McAleer, who was also present.
NU administrators and students traveled in and out of the building freely before, during and after the event. McAleer declined to comment as to why the demonstrators were not allowed in.
Mary Jane Twohey, NU’s director of media relations, said she had not heard about the demonstration beforehand but declined to say whether anyone in the administration was aware.
SEIU, which organized 18 demonstrations at Sodexo-affiliated schools nationwide this week, has been publicizing the event since Monday.
Schapiro could not be reached for comment.
The Northwestern Living Wage Campaign, a student group lobbying NU to adopt a new wage policy for subcontracted workers, did not participate in the event.
Still, demonstrator Tom Breitsprecher asked NU to adopt a living wage in his speech.
“I referenced them because I attend some of their activities,” said Breitsprecher, a lead cook at Willard Residential College. “We’re very grateful for their support.”
