Cafeteria workers at Connecticut state universities are planning to picket Tuesday in hopes of forcing their employer, Sodexo, to provide them with stable hours and higher wages.
The food service workers, who prepare and serve food to students at Central, Southern and Western Connecticut State Universities, are members of Local 217 Unite Here. The members say that the rising cost of living in Connecticut is forcing many to get a second job or go into debt.
“Despite working full-time for Sodexo, many food service workers at Connecticut’s public colleges are struggling to make ends meet,” the union said in a release Monday. “They are protesting for a new contract that provides a living wage, arguing that their current pay and hours are not enough to cover basic living expenses, especially with the rising cost of housing and other necessities in Connecticut. Workers will share personal stories about the challenges of supporting their families and the need for a single job to provide a sustainable income.”
The hospitality workers, who say one job should be enough, plan to picket at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday on the New Britain campus at Central Connecticut State University near the main dining hall.
