ACADIA
ADVANTAGE BUT NOT
IF
YOU WORK FOR THE
FOOD
SERVICE
In the light of Acadia’s missions to create a ”respectful scholarly community”, it is difficult to comprehend
what is presently happening to the Food Service Staff since Chartwells has taken over the
Food Services at Acadia University.
While Acadia students are being groomed to become “engaged citizens” and “responsible global leaders”, the Food
Service Staff on the other side of the counter, responsible for feeding those
students, is being diminished by working conditions that are fit for a third
world economy.
Under Chartwells,
Food Services employees have had their wages frozen and are ever uncertain
whether they will have continuous employment—years of service and work
experience are not considered in employment decisions. Furthermore, everybody, except management, is
now without a Pension Plan, without Paid Sick Leave or Accumulated Sick Time
(simply replaced with three paid Personal Days a year). Food Service workers have no other recourse
than to go on Social Assistance should they happen to fall seriously ill. Three days of paid Sick Leave per year and a
three months Disability Plan which only covers 55% of the already meager wages
is just not sufficient to keep a person or a family afloat especially when
medications are needed. It is not difficult to understand that this is a rather
humbling position to be in especially after having worked for the Acadia Food
Services for over thirty years.
This is why the Unions on Campus (AUFA, SEIU, CUPE and THE OPERATING ENGINEERS) have come together in
support of two Chartwells’ Food Service workers who are presently
battling with catastrophic illnesses and who are without paid Sick Leave. We
ask for everyone’s support by joining a benefit dance on May 17th in
the MacKeen Room. This dance is to raise money for
those two families as well as to raise awareness of the present plight of the
Food Service workers at Acadia.
So, please mark May 17th on your calendar and come out for a
good time and a good cause.
Elke Willmann
President, SEIU Local 902
Acadia University