Sodexho strike looms near

Sodexho Food Services employees at Brock University are prepared to walk off the job on Thursday, Oct. 17 if they fail to reach a collective agreement with management by that date.In a last minute attempt to reach an agreement, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1295 met with Sodexho management on Thanksgiving Monday.

"We're hopeful of the negotiations," said John Clutterbuck, CUPE Local 1295 president, however, he says both parties are preparing for the worst.

The university has even stepped in, with Harold Leece, associate vice-president administration, functioning as a mediator.

"We're thankful to the university for helping out," says Clutterbuck.

However, Jim Harper, vice-president and chief steward for CUPE Local 1295, says the union and Sodexho management are "still a ways apart in [their] talks."

What the union is after is a dental plan and higher wages. Harper said he does not think what they are asking for is unrealistic, as all Sodexho employees at other universities across Canada already have dental plans in place.

Cathy McCann, Sodexho general manager, says they are still in negotiations with the union and are hopeful that both parties will come to an agreement before the strike date. She did not wish to comment on the bargaining table issues.

All food outlets at Brock are run by Sodexho, excluding those in the Alumni Students' Centre. Students living in residence should not worry about being suddenly cut-off from their pre-paid meal plans, as director of residences, Jamie Fleming, has promised to maintain full service in the event of a strike.

"Should union members choose to take job action, please rest assured that food service will continue to be provided in the Residence Dining Hall for students with meal plans," he stated.

Although the Residence Dining Hall will remain open, it will not be the regular Sodexho employees working there because they will be on strike.

"Remember that the people who will be working, handling your food ... are SCABS," was written on signs placed on bulletin boards across campus. The signs were posted by CUPE Local 1295, informing the Brock community about the likelihood of a strike, and of the issues at the bargaining table.

"We're not out to spite anyone," says Clutterbuck. "But according to the Ministry [of Labour], we're under the gun."

Clutterbuck said they are working on Thanksgiving because they prefer to reach an agreement. According to Ministry of Labour policy, when two sides reach a no board, they have to set a strike date within 15 days, and both parties agreed on Oct. 17 as a deadline during their last meeting on Sept. 30.

"It took a long time to sit down with both parties," says Clutterbuck regarding the negotiations with Sodexho management.

Their contract has been up for negotiation since the end of last February, however, it took until June 17 before they had their first meeting.

While food service for residence students will continue if a strike occurs, it is unknown whether additional workers will be brought in to the other food outlets. Fleming says that the other food service outlets "may or may not be affected until a settlement is reached."

Clutterbuck says it has been "quite a process" so far because they are not only dealing with Sodexho management at the university, but with Sodexho Canada, making it very difficult to schedule meetings. He says the university has never been this close to striking before and although their demands are not etched in stone, they know what they want.

Brock University Students' Union (BUSU) clerical workers, caretakers and maintenance workers at Brock are also a part of CUPE Local 1295. It has been agreed that they will cross the picket lines during the early phases of the strike, but Clutterbuck says they will definitely be supporting Sodexho employees in their negotiations. Approximately 105 employees will walk off the job if an agreement is not reached by Oct. 17.