Emory students stage peaceful protest outside president’s office
UPDATE Thursday: This morning, Emory spokesman David C. Payne said, “The sit-in ended around 8 p.m last evening when the students left the building. There are no planned meetings between the students and Dr. Wagner at this time although he has offered to meet with a small group of three to four representatives if they so choose.”
About two dozen Emory students protesting the treatment of subcontracted employees on the DeKalb campus are sitting outside the president’s office in an effort to confront him over what they deem the university’s indifference to the workers’ plight.
(Here is some history on the issue from the Emory Wheel and here is a piece by two students explaining their stand. And here is a response to a student about the allegations of worker mistreatment by the food service company from Emory President James Wagner.)
“These workers are not protected by the code of conduct of Emory…by an ethically engaged university. They have no avenue of redress,” said Laura Emiko Soltis, one of the students lining the hallway outside President Wagner’s office at this moment. “Emory is one of the largest employers in Atlanta and this is something that Emory needs to take seriously.”
“A group of 25-30 people are sitting in the fourth floor corridor of the University’s administration building outside his office, but is not true that they have taken over his office,” confirmed Emory spokesman David C. Payne. ” The group includes off campus visitors as well. He is out of the office today and we do not expect him back. The university’s business is continuing without interruption. We are trying to set up a meeting with a select number of student representatives for tomorrow.”
But student organizer Soltis says, “We are going to stay as long as it takes; he has been avoiding us for a year and a half.”
If President Wagner doesn’t show up today, the students plan to occupy the building overnight. But what if Emory refuses to allow them to continue their protest and orders them to leave?
“Each student is going to decide whether they are willing to be arrested,” says Soltis, adding that at least three students are willing to face arrest. (Emory is going to get back to me on what it will do about the students spending the night outside Wagner’s office in the administration building. Will post as soon as Emory responds.)
“We are on our computers. We are singing songs,” Soltis said. “We are waiting for the president to tell us if he is on the side of the workers and students and an ethically engaged university.”
Emory farms out some of its services, including food service, to private contractors, creating what the students consider a two-tier system of worker rights and status on the campus. The contractual employees do not enjoy the benefits or protections afforded Emory direct employees, they say.
The students want Emory to end its multi-million dollar dining services contract and adopt standards to ensure fair treatment of subcontracted workers on campus.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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143 comments Add your comment
Dr NO
April 20th, 2011
2:57 pm
“The contractual employees do not enjoy the benefits or protections afforded Emory direct employees, they say.’
Apparently these highly educated eggheads fail to understand the term, Sub-Contractor. Geesh…this is just silly and upon the return of the Pres he should tell them where to go.
oldtimer
April 20th, 2011
3:24 pm
Maybe they need more to do…
James Conway
April 20th, 2011
3:35 pm
The point of this, one assumesy, is that they are saying the workers are not compensated adequately. because they are not W-2 employees. This could easily be solved by the students calculating the approximate amount the workers are being underpaid (according to them) and then the students donating an equal amount to the Emory General Fund.with stipulations on how the donations would be spent.
Somehow, I get the impression they want all of the students, even those who don’t agree with that solution, to share in extra costs. If I were an Emory student I know what I would think about that, but as an outsider I would be pleased for Emory students to pay more tuition so that the extra money could filter back through the local economy.
Lynn
April 20th, 2011
4:04 pm
Really, I thought this was America- One of the largest employees in an area cant pay fair wages or hire people full time. This is why you have substandard services in places like Emory. Treat people fairly and maybe they will treat your customers with that same respect!!!!!!!!!!
I forgot this is the land of Repubs. who will give tax breaks and approve the original Stimulus to
Big Business. Pay people what they are worth.
Michael
April 20th, 2011
4:08 pm
Entities with general funds always re-purpose the money. Not the Ga General Assembly just renewed the $1 tax, oh, I mean “fee”, on tire disposal while saying the $1 does not have to go towards tire disposal.
Crass Realist
April 20th, 2011
4:09 pm
Oh my goodness. These poor downtrodden students…STANDING UP for the poor mistreated working class…what arrogance…
If the workers don’t like their position, then they are free to find employment elsewhere. Whatever happened to the concept of “work hard, get noticed, climb the ladder of success”? Respect is EARNED, not granted as an entitlement.
These students need to be taught a lesson in REAL WORLD business affairs.
Former Employee RIF'd While Pregnant
April 20th, 2011
4:10 pm
Emory regular employees aren’t protected either. Every year they RIF a hundred or so employees. The sub-contractors jobs are more stable than regular employees!
Ricardo Cabeza
April 20th, 2011
4:11 pm
Esmerelda,
If you are over there protesting instead of learning to be doctor, you and I will have a long, one-sided conversation the next time you come to hacienda for visit. I do not pay the Emory University my life savings for you to protest something that does not concern you. Now, get back to class senorita!
Love, Papa
Wes
April 20th, 2011
4:11 pm
Paying people more money will not necessarily bring better service to the students. This could increase the feeling of job security for these workers, and ultimately bring down the quality of service.
Fred
April 20th, 2011
4:11 pm
Proudly earning the title “Emroid”
Crass Realist
April 20th, 2011
4:12 pm
Hello, Lynn, sounds like you are part of the loser, er, working class. These people ARE being paid what they are worth. Survival of the Fittest and Natural Selection are taking place…keep looking over your shoulder.
jemory
April 20th, 2011
4:14 pm
as an Emory grad, i can say that Emory is full of a bunch of spoiled, idealistic brats who have never had to work a day in their lives and have nothing better to do than stage a sit in just for the hell of it. Emory students like these do not understand reason and rationality. they live in an idealistic world where everything is rainbows and lollipops.
Maureen Downey
April 20th, 2011
4:14 pm
@Wes. The issue is not just money, but also that the food service workers — at least according to students — are facing intimidation from their management over unionizing. In addition, the Emory students say these workers don’t get any transportation stipends from Emory, which defrays the MARTA cards of its own employees. They contend that the food service firm has a history of worker violations, and that Emory should not be doing business with them.
Maureen
JRHD
April 20th, 2011
4:14 pm
Wow, that’s funny. Emory, a private university, enters into a mutually agreed upon contract w/ sub-contractors to provide services to the university. The sub-contractors provide the service at the agreed upon price (in this case an hourly/weekly/monthly pay rate for their time) and they are duly compensated. If they don’t like the contract then they can ply their services somewhere else. No one is forcing them to provide those services to Emory. It is Emory’s right/duty to seek those services at the lowest possible cost. In order to keep costs down and remain competitive in the market place (and keep tuition costs from escalating more than they already have) Emory should engage in contracts that are fiscally responsible (LOW COST). If the students don’t like it then let them take their tuition monies elsewhere.
Kida Kidder
April 20th, 2011
4:18 pm
Incredible. I suspect the university attendees (”student” seems inapplicable) would likewise protest the increse in tuition and fees that would result if the independent contractors were university employees. Emory seems to have a two-tier “student” body as well–the learned and those who are “on [their] computers” and “singing [their] songs. Kids, skip the protest and hit the econ books.
Rachel
April 20th, 2011
4:18 pm
These college students understand exploitation, and they want Emory to rise above it. They are not fools; they understand there is a cost for being principled, and who will pay it.
We have whole industries in Georgia who base their profits on the use of illegal aliens. Society as a whole pays the price for this type of exploitation (school taxes, general taxes, uninsured casualty losses, …)
CobbParent
April 20th, 2011
4:19 pm
From the Wheel Article, a quote from a Sodexo employee – “It is common for a supervisor to show a total lack of respect for me and my co-workers,” she wrote. “We have been called incompetent in a meeting … we have been discouraged from using the bathroom when we need to. No one deserves to be treated this way.”
If that is what these students are upset about they are sure in for a big surprise when they go out and get jobs in big boy-and-girl land. And honestly, the higher up the ladder they climb the worse it gets (until you reach the top) because once you are on salary you really have no say at all in your life – at least the hourly folks get to go home at 5pm so the company doesn’t have to pay overtime.
Freedom From Insanity
April 20th, 2011
4:20 pm
Do the students not understand that the reason services are sub-contracted out is that it saves the company (in this case the University) substantial money. The University is not in the food preparation or service business – much like most companies who hire a sub-contactor to run kitchens and cafeterias in their buildings. If the students are looking to pay higher tuition, then maybe the workers will get more money, but I seriously doubt if most of the students are paying their own tuition. In fact, those that are on scholarship might lose that assistance if the university has to increase their payroll.
If they are so concerned about worker’s rights, let them go and protest at a chicken processing plant in north Georgia. That would be an eye-opener for them and a bit of real world experience.
EU grad
April 20th, 2011
4:22 pm
If EU is treating contract employees in a manner those contract employess do not deem appropriate, then thos contract employees are free to leave and seek better positions.
ir(Rational)
April 20th, 2011
4:26 pm
So, I assume that these students that are all about the worker’s rights would be perfectly fine with being kicked out of the university on honor code violations if they are arrested tonight? I mean, that seems “fair.”
Also, Lynn – really? Emory the land of Republicans? Wow, I didn’t think anyone was that “smart.”
Hootinanny Yum Yum
April 20th, 2011
4:27 pm
I generally reading anything that has “engaged” as a buzz word.
Wow!!! You mean the sub-contracted employees are prevented from seeking employment elsewhere that may have better benefits.
Emory. Cranking out Community Organizers at an alarming rate!!!!
James Conway
April 20th, 2011
4:28 pm
After reading other posts, I like mine as well or better than the rest. If the students want to help someone whom they feel is underpaid then they can contribute and bring the pay up to the standard they think is adequate. Please be considerate of your fellow students and don’t foist your ideas (problems, opinions, beliefs) on them. When you graduate please remember that idea when you are dealing with other real world problems.
Midtown_DD
April 20th, 2011
4:28 pm
Maybe the management of the contracting firms don’t need to make 400 times the wage of their employees? Maybe money should trickle down to those who actually do some work.
Emory alum
April 20th, 2011
4:29 pm
It is true that the university has more than a few spoiled rich kids, but at least they’re rich kids with a conscience who bring vigorous debate to their president’s door, instead of just stumbling to the nearest drink n’ drown.
Everyone’s learning something right now from the experience – even you and I. I’m glad there’s a school in town where smart people stir things up occasionally. If anything, they should probably be stirring things up a whole lot more.
Brenda
April 20th, 2011
4:29 pm
If you don’t like working at so-dex-ho then quit. By staying in a bad job you’re just punishing yourself. If you can’t do better than Sodexho then maybe you should have tried harder in school, just saying.
Freedom From Insanity
April 20th, 2011
4:32 pm
The comment about the workers not getting compensated with MARTA cards is amazing. The reason the sub-contractor is there is to avoid the expenses of these types of fringe benefits. They are not Emory employees, they are employees of the food service company and if the food service company gave them MARTA cards, they would simply increase the cost of their service to Emory. Basic business economics. I would suggest the students stop singing and look up their Econ. 101 notes – if they took that class!
If the students want to protest, there are plenty of logical things to protest against – how about starting with the “un-official” war in the middle east, the killing of our soldiers, the lack of integrity in the banking/mortgage industry…………on and on!
Emory Grad X 3
April 20th, 2011
4:36 pm
These students and the “plight” they have taken up on behalf of the poor, downtrodden subcontractors disgust me. Here is what the students should do: 1) Get your fannies back in class and learn something, focusing on business in the real world; 2) Let people who are poor and downtrodden defend themselves, as any self-respecting human being should; 3) Stop embarrassing Emory by being hopelessly idealistic at the age of 20+. By that time, I had been a Libertarian (aka, thinking Conservative) for nearly 8 years. Workers can, should and are morally obligated to defend themselves, not have some spoiled brat do their fighting for them.
VB
April 20th, 2011
4:36 pm
I’m sure their parents will be happy when the tuition is raised to accomodate this
Jan
April 20th, 2011
4:37 pm
Georgia is a ‘right to work’ state. I say fire all the trouble makers and start over. I bet they get as much respect as they deserve. There was a time for unions but it has passed. Just ask the employees at Eastern Airlines what a union did for them. It ran the company out of business.
(ir)Rational
April 20th, 2011
4:38 pm
Freedom From Insanity – That last paragraph would assume that the students were mentally capable of coming to a logical conclusion like that. At least then they would have a platform. Sometimes adults, presumably over the college age aren’t able to come to logical conclusions like that. Like saying that the guy in the executive office doesn’t work. Chances are he didn’t get there by not working, and has earned his salary.
TomB
April 20th, 2011
4:41 pm
Ah to be young again … and engaged in a cause … it is right of passage no matter
Native Atlantan
April 20th, 2011
4:41 pm
Oh Lynn…poor misguided Lynn. Apparently you have NO idea how the private sector works. Sub-contracting is the norm and if the students at Emory are will to pay MORE to bring the services in-house, then tee that up as a solution.
J Moore
April 20th, 2011
4:42 pm
Not only arrest the so-called “students”; but, also throw them out of the university. They need to be taught a serious lesson that actions have consequences. Also, they are at the university for a short time–they are not the owners!
GT81
April 20th, 2011
4:45 pm
hey kids, yes, KIDS….No one forced these workers to work at Emory. They agreed to accept what benefits were offered… when you grow up, you will realize this
Dwayne
April 20th, 2011
4:47 pm
I remember the cashier in Dooley’s Den with the beehive hairdo. She actually drove a Plymouth Satelliate … no kidding! Oh the memories, I was back on campus not long ago and was saddened at how much things have changed from the good old days of the late 70’s early 80’s, all the fancy air-conditioned dorms, food courts, etc that these students are spoiled with.
Native Atlantan
April 20th, 2011
4:48 pm
@Maureen: fighting AGAINST using a specific sub-contractor is dramatically different than fighting FOR the rights of the sub-con’s employees. Vendor selection is a procurement decision normally based on a set of requirements and pricing. Vendor continues to meet the requirements and all is well with Emory. Vendor stops meeting the requirement, Emory takes action. How the vendor TREATS its employees is or no concern to Emory, or shouldn’t be.
Interestingly, this is coming from a progressive….but one who works in the real world.
Bill
April 20th, 2011
4:51 pm
Don’t arrest them….have them all serve a semester on the budget committee
Emory Alum
April 20th, 2011
4:53 pm
When you current Emory students get out into the real world and see how the world really works, please let me know your thoughts on this matter ten years down the road and whether or not you still have the same viewpoint. Unbelievable.
woodrow
April 20th, 2011
4:55 pm
Capitalism is a fickle beast. The system bends to benefit some at the expense of others. I think P.T. Barnum said ‘there is a sucker born every minute.’ If we cannot cheat workers, who do we cheat? That’s directly from the Walmart code of business.
June Carter
April 20th, 2011
4:59 pm
@Crass Realist: Sitting at your computer insulting college kids online is one way of staying out of the “Real World,” however, it won’t prevent you from becoming evolutionarily irrelevant.
Joyce
April 20th, 2011
5:00 pm
Well…..Well… These students must be spoiled brats. Let me tell you what the University should do. Since, everyone is big on community service. Emory needs to adopt a policy that requires all students to work at least 40 hours during their four years (undergraduate). That would mean they would work 10 hours per year in places like the cafeteria then Emory would not have to contract it out. And, by the way the students would not get paid for this work. If a student is working his/her way through college, they would only have present a written paper about their job and count that as their sevice. You see alot of students at Emory do not realize the money their parents are spending to send them to school and the scarifices they are making for them. I have always wondered what happened to the graduates of Emory. You never see any of them that have made public school teachers. Now, I am not talking about those in the nursing or medical fields.
So you little children, go on back to your apartments and cool off. And by the way stop by Red Lobster and confidentally ask a waitress what he/ she makes per hour and how the tips are split. Don’t let anyone hear you talking or he/she will be fired. You think Emory workers have it bad. Go chase that rabbit!
I'm Just A Bill
April 20th, 2011
5:02 pm
College kids. God love them. Their world is so tiny and small and they have no real sense of what they are in for in just a couple of years. Too bad Emory does not prepare them for the real world.
Joyce
April 20th, 2011
5:05 pm
Work never hurt anyone. They need to get out in the real world. Because one day their little glass houses are going to shatter. And, I am afraid they will not know how to pick up the pieces.
Dooley's Ghost
April 20th, 2011
5:06 pm
Over/under on the number of these “protesters” whose parents are paying their tuition for them? Anyone…anyone?
Emory Alum
April 20th, 2011
5:07 pm
Do they have tip jars in the dining facilities? If not, put them there.
student
April 20th, 2011
5:09 pm
It’s simple really, the workers deserve a living wage. What this means is that they should be able to afford healthcare, rent, and food all at the same time. I know that sounds crazy and super demanding of a billion dollar company (sodexo) and a school that charges more than 30,000 per student (emory).
All americans should be proud that students are willing to fight for what’s right. To fight for the workers who make their food everyday and clean-up after them. It’s really the very least we can do.
wolfman
April 20th, 2011
5:14 pm
Wonder who they supported for President? These same students would also be upset it tuition went up.
Tom
April 20th, 2011
5:15 pm
Just curious here, are these sub-contractors that the students are feeling badly for, are they possibly Illegal immigrants? Just askin?? If so, they should not have been allowed to work there in the first place!!
Love ATL
April 20th, 2011
5:22 pm
Emory did the same thing with their bookstore contract. They had a great company that paid fair wages and gave great service and then ditched them for a very ordinary Barnes and Noble store that only pays minimum and has average service.
Pyro
April 20th, 2011
5:24 pm
Maybe they would be happier in a comunist country where “everyone is equal”….
Emory Staffer
April 20th, 2011
5:26 pm
Many of you folks seem to know very little about Emory and it’s student population — {newsflash} — not ALL Emory students are priviledged trust fund babies. There are a good amount of students here who receive financial aid and a myriad of student loans and are actually {gasp!} working their way through school. Just sayin.
Kennesaw Dave
April 20th, 2011
5:26 pm
This is so rediculous it makes me almost physically ill. To be fair, I comend the students for having feeling towards their fellow man and wanting to do something to help. But they are sitting outside the wrong office and protesting the wrong people. Emory doesn’t have any business nor the power to tell a sub-contracting company how they should run their business, pay their subcontractors, and what if any bennefits they should receive. I get so tired of this left wing liberal ideology that everyone has to have a fair share. But then again we’re talking about Emory so I really shouldn’t be all that surprised. Either way though, if they students want to do some real good, they need to be protesting outside where the company that subcontracts the workers.
student
April 20th, 2011
5:26 pm
@ joyce – I also agree with you that what servers at red lobster make is not a living wage. They work hard and have to hope people know they make $2.13 an hour and actually live off the tips. The battle going on at emory is part of a larger battle with sodexo about the way they underpay and mistreat their workers across the US (Sodexo contracts at universities all over the US and the world). It didn’t start at emory and it won’t end there.
Also, the concept of fighting for workers to be paid fairly is being fought all the time across the U.S. It’s not always “news worthy” because it’s not about someone being shot or someone famous. The students fighting, possibly facing jail time, to support the emory workers are very aware of their place in the world. They are part of a lucky few that can afford college, which is shrinking as we speak. They are doing what they can to be an active part of making our country a better place for everyone to live, not just rich white kids.
Personally, I believe the “naive” people of the world living in a bubble are those who pretend everything is as it should be. It’s much easier to ignore the rising number of people who are struggling just to get by in this country. If you are struggling yourself, working a job that doesn’t pay enough, living pay-check to pay-check, (like I am), than you have more in common with the workers there than their managers or the university administration that makes hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Those of us who aren’t rich, who understand what it means to work very hard for every dollar that we make, should stand by each other as we fight for what we deserve. We all just want enough, not to be millionaires.
Working4aLiving
April 20th, 2011
5:27 pm
Proud of this students and their efforts! Emory speaks of its ‘ethical commitment to the community’ but allows a multi-billion dollar global food service corporation, Sodexo, to use coercive and intimidating tactics against campus workers when they try to organize.
Remember, all the libertarian and tea party friends here, that the right to organize a union is protected by the constitution of the UNITED STATES, the National Labor Relations Act and the despised (as far as the U.S. right is concerned) the UN’s International Labor Organization.
Emory should be an absolute leader when it comes to attacks on workers’ rights and corporate threats to democratic processes- not stoop to the lowest base level of social darwinianism as expressed by of crass anti-worker cynics on this thread.
Thanks, and by the way, I am a Georgia bred (Coweta County) working union man working 50 hours a week and loving my job for a profitable global company. Your anti-myths are rhetorical deadends when confronted with real working people and our struggles.
John L
April 20th, 2011
5:30 pm
I applaud the courageous students who are willing to take this stand for the rights of workers on Emory’s campus and far beyond. Your courage and passion is an inspiration to all of us young people who want to build a better world. Thank you and good luck!
student
April 20th, 2011
5:35 pm
@ Kennesaw Dave You are right that students and workers should protest sodexo as well, which we do, but the reason we include emory administration is because they make the decisions about who gets those contracts. They have a say in what those contracts look like. Many other universities have something called a “code of conduct”, which means that any contractor needs to meet the same fair labor practices that the university uses. Emory does not have this, except for its own direct employees. We are simply asking that all workers at emory, including those of contractors, receive the same fair standards. That contractors must meet the same ethical standards that emory says it follows.
Pyro
April 20th, 2011
5:40 pm
@Student, The biggest problem with this whole thing is not the workers pay (yes I realize that waiter/waitressess live off tips), but the “standard of living” people expect. In days past few people had washing machines and dryers. Clothes were washed by hand and dried on a line in the sun. People didn’t have cellphones and computers and spend thier time brousing facebook and playing worlds of warcraft. They actually took responsibility for themselves and worked with their hand to create a life and support their families. We are all spoiled (yes, me too) by the conveniences and technology of today. We are dependent on things that cost money to make our lives less labor intense and free our time for leisure pursuits. We are all free to live and work and chosing to work for a company that abuses you is a choice that one is free to make. We are all a product of choices we make and these students want to somehow nullify the choices these workers have made in the name of fairness. Unfortunately life is not fair, and nature is cruel and unforgiving. Learn it, live it, get over yourself.
nativeATL
April 20th, 2011
5:47 pm
Of all the……………..!!!!!!!!!! Those kids better get their butts BACK TO CLASS, concentrate on passing their finals, and graduating for some. By the way, wonder how many of those workers are here legally. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???
Teresa
April 20th, 2011
5:52 pm
Why does the article not mention that the billionaire food services contract is Sodexo? Visit kickoutsodexo.org for more information
invictus mon
April 20th, 2011
5:54 pm
Get a job, get a life, get a clue! Idealism costs money. Eggheaded protests are nothing but an annoyance to anyone who you choose to afflict with your presence. You want to strengthen someone’s resolve to laugh at you and not give you what you want, this is how you do it. The real world isn’t a household full of rich kids who can just kick and scream until mommy gives you what you demand. Moreso, the President of the University ain’t your mommy. You want to bark up a tree, you bark up the one that actually writes the checks to these people who CHOOSE to be employed there. When you do it though, you set an appointment and act civil. Sit-ins, and chanting, and singing are children’s games that might be fun for those who are there, but believe me when I say we’re not laughing WITH you!
Emory Studentttttt
April 20th, 2011
5:55 pm
@nativeATL: As an Emory student, I personally haven’t seen anyone that even looks like they’re of latino descent from their physical appearance, accent, or name. They’re all citizens, and I know because I eat here everyday. You may be an Atlanta native, as am I, but you know nothing about Emory and its day to day business. Just saying.
Brad
April 20th, 2011
6:19 pm
Well, be prepared to pay more money for your school if you get your way. Have you thought about that or are you too busy figuring out how to spell Che Guevara?
itpdude
April 20th, 2011
6:22 pm
Ha ha ha, a bunch of uneducated idiots who barely made it out of high school commenting on the activities of some of the brightest students in Georgia. Lovely.
Just because you all have had it rough at your jobs, no raise, declining benefits, doesn’t mean you need to beat down some of the least amongst us. But hey, you win when someone else loses.
That attitude needs to go to Hell.
itpdude
April 20th, 2011
6:25 pm
Oh, and the issue is this: Emory has a code of ethics that they purport to take seriously yet allow that very code to lapse when it comes to certain employees on the campus. THAT is the issue.
But don’t expect comprehension of such things from a tea party crowd that doesn’t even know what “undergraduate” means.
Alabama Communist
April 20th, 2011
6:31 pm
More Breaking News On Protest…….The protest students were shocked when they found out that the sub-contract workers were really part time Profs working 2 jobs to make ends meet..
proudof'em
April 20th, 2011
6:34 pm
If these kids were really spoiled brats, they wouldn’t give a damn about the folks who dish out their food. They have, in fact, responded to President Wagner’s call to transcend their narrow self- interest and care about others around them. Yes, they are idealistic — that is the way college students should be. They have the rest of their lives to become negative, jaded, and complacent like some of commentators here.
Equitas
April 20th, 2011
6:38 pm
Respectfully @ Crass Realist & I’m Just a Bill
The “real world” cliche should be retired.
Would the “real world” you are boasting
about consist of the financial crisis with
banks,investment firms, insurance
companies,etc. needing TARP funding?
I think the students should focus on
their studies,but it is good to see them
concerned about someone else. The real
test of the students beliefs would be if
they were prepared to pay more money
in tuition and fees for the university to
meet their concerns.
David Patton
April 20th, 2011
6:46 pm
Let’s see–the federal minimum wage is $7.25/hr, and Sodexo employees at Emory are paid $ 10.50/hr. Guess nobody has thought about the fact that when you join a union, you have to pay union dues. That means the amount of money you take home goes down. So, join the union, make less money. For a university that prides itself on how smart its students are, they obviously lack common sense.
I love teaching. I hate what it is becoming...
April 20th, 2011
6:46 pm
How sad. We now seem to live in a world where everyone expects to be screwed over, cause that is the “real world” and when anyone tries to change that or work for something better they are told to “suck it up”. The attitude seems to be, “My life stinks, so yours should too,” and, “If you were worth something and worked hard, you wouldn’t be struggling.”
How easy to throw stones rather than admit that majority of us are being exploited by a small minority…and it is getting worse. We all want to blame the victim, cause if we can make it all *their* fault for being too lazy, or stupid, or entitled or something, then WE won’t have to worry about having the same thing happen to us! Cause *we* are so much better than them!
Funny how that attitude seems to change when it becomes YOUR struggle.
Isawit
April 20th, 2011
6:49 pm
It was quite a site to see. Office doors were locked. The smell od BO was in the air. Kids had cookies and snacks. At least 15 of the kids were sitting there face booking on the nice Mac laptop mommy and daddy bought them. It was just swell. Give em a little more time.
Bob the Bold
April 20th, 2011
6:56 pm
Funny how all those that are saying that “This is America” and that these kids should just shut up, are forgetting that this is America and they have a right to voice their concerns. So, do you of course. But if they feel that there is a problem and that their tuition money is being poorly handled they should stand up and say something, instead of becoming sheeple.
David
April 20th, 2011
7:00 pm
hey, at least SEIU finally did something good… scabs
They are getting ready.
April 20th, 2011
7:11 pm
Maybe they want to get the pay up there because they know that is about the only job they are going to qualitfied for with their teacher union education. Only one in twenty of them will get a good job, ten will work for low wages and the rest will suck momma’s tit for another few years.
People this is the group of our fine young people that we are goint to trust to run this country in the future. GOD HELP US ALL!!!!!!!!
missing the big picture
April 20th, 2011
7:12 pm
The kids are not protesting the subcontractors- They are rolling!! $ and these subcontracts go to family members and friends ~ what they are protesting for are the employees of these subcontractors- I dont think its unreasonable subcontractor employees be held to the same standards in terms of treatment as a regular Emory employee.
Lucie
April 20th, 2011
7:31 pm
It’s not just the Emory employees that the students are concerned about. Sodexo has been found to be unethical across the board. They hire women for less money than men, they have been caught significantly overcharging public schools for their services, they mistreat many of their employees, and many other things:
http://kickoutsodexo.usas.org/why-kick-out-sodexo/dr-workers-letter-to-universities/
wsj
April 20th, 2011
7:44 pm
From what I’ve heard about Emory, they are willing to pay well if you’ve a skill set they need. Otherwise their pay is substandard.
TheTruthHurts
April 20th, 2011
7:45 pm
Typical Lazy ass Liberal sit in…these losers are such a lazy bunch of azzholes..all they can do is sit on their azzes and whine….get a job you lazy govt freeloading LOSERS!!!!!!!! These idioys will have it tough when mommy and daddy stop paying for their living expenses and they have to actually work……LOSERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Emory grad
April 20th, 2011
7:56 pm
I’m truly touched by the students’ energy and empathy. And impressed that the AJC is giving them coverage. Go you!
Teodoro
April 20th, 2011
8:05 pm
It is shameful to read these comments. Naive, sure. Spoiled, maybe. But the bottom line is that students care enough about economic justice that they want an answer as to why low paid workers at an institution with a billion dollar endowment are underpaid or mistreated. I’m an Emory alum and I want to know too. If I ever find myself in need of the hope of my fellow man, I sure hope one of these students and not the craven ugly alleged Christians that has posted here is nearby.
A Current Emory Student
April 20th, 2011
8:13 pm
I hope that I will never have the closed-minded apathy for other people nor the willingness to attack people seeking to help others that has been so vehemently exposed on this blog. Your age and/or your political conservatism does not make you more human than these workers. Your access to an education was a blessing; your livable wages are a blessing. If you honestly don’t want those blessings for everyone, I would look at yourself next time you use the phrase “spoiled brat.”
Batgirl
April 20th, 2011
8:13 pm
Emory students–Keep it up. You’re doing a good thing. Please ignore the naysayers. Apparently many on this blog never got a hand up from anybody. No one had help from parents and good home lives. No one benefited from nepotism or the old boys’/girls’ network. No one ever got hired because he could coach or she was better looking than other candidates. Nope, we are all orphans who have succeeded purely with our brilliance and virtuous hard work.
Some of you seem to think that the Sodexo employees should just find another job if they’re not happy. Really? It may be that in this market this is the best they can do. Maybe they were laid off from better jobs and this is all they can find right now. Have some compassion.
Truman Daley-Douglas
April 20th, 2011
8:17 pm
These students should be commended for standing up for workers rights!
Marcus Moore
April 20th, 2011
8:22 pm
I am amazed that people still think, all you have to do is work hard and you will get what you deserve. I am also surprised that people are judging people because of where they work. It is also surprising that what is legally right when it comes to money always trumps what is morally right. I thought Georgia was a Christian state, until money is involved. I guess hard work and the uneducated people are the ones who are making the decisions about our economy. I guess they are the ones who created the big national debt we are in. Give me a fucking break. The kids are right for standing up for what they believe in.
TheTruthHurts
April 20th, 2011
8:26 pm
These workers took the jobs..if they dont like it, then find another….No one has a gun to their head telling them to work for this big bad company…….thats how it works. Enough people dont like working there the company goes out of business……stop trying to force your pathetic views on everyone else. This society of I deserve give me give me give me…these students are a bunch of whiney idiots with no grasp of the real world…the sooner they get a taste of it the better off they will be. They can whine and cry all they want cause thats all liberals do…….They will go home at night to their homes with maids and landscapers being paid below par wages but they can feel good about themselves that they sat on their asses and cried…TYPICAL LIBERAL!!!
TheTruthHurts
April 20th, 2011
8:32 pm
These liberal students are hypocrites just like Obama their hero…Obam whines about how the big bad wealthy people are taking every tax loophole they can to avoid paying taxes….Gee what a surprise to find out Obama did the same thing with his 2010 takes…and donates far less then other presidents have……Liberals like these students are PHONY FAKE HYPOCRITES……you wanna help….give them some of your money uh uh uh geee that wont happen…..I want someone else to do it…I really dont wanna put myself out there like that…TYPICAL PHONY LIBERAL!!!!
northbeach Scott
April 20th, 2011
8:39 pm
What a bunch of douche bag punks. If these brats had to earn their way through school instead of being protesters on mommy and daddy’s dime, perhaps they would mind their own business. Georgia is a right to work state–if they do not like the color of your tie you can be fired and in this job market, folks ought to be focused on giving employers a reason to keep them.
If the working conditions are so aggregious, then perhaps the sub-contractors should go find another job. No one forces them to work, there.
I have cancelled my annual Emory gift contribution as I would hate to think I might be subsidizing these stupid kids.
the "naive" Emory student
April 20th, 2011
8:52 pm
Thank God compassion exists somewhere.
Sodexo has violated a number of human rights both nationally and internationally through racial and gender discrimination, the prevention of union formation by way of scare tactics (and job dismissal), the payment of unfair wages, and more. Why would any institution–let alone one that prides itself in seeking “to create, preserve, teach, and apply knowledge in the service of humanity”–accept that? I fully support Students and Workers in Solidarity at Emory University because they are serving humanity through the recognition that injustice still exists in the “real world” and the recognition that we have a responsibility to seek change if able.
I encourage you all to take a moment and research this issue before making inaccurate assumptions.
Sam
April 20th, 2011
8:54 pm
About half the students at Emory are here on scholarships, whether they received a merit scholarship from Emory, a financial aid scholarship, or a Questbridge scholarship (which gives successful students in low income families the means to study at places like Emory), so you have no right to call these students spoiled bratty punks. You should not be criticizing the protesting students. Sodexo has done a lot more damage than people think. Employees might not be forced to work there, but that does not mean Sodexo has the right to treat their employees based on that fact. In many cases, Sodexo is the only place where they can find a job. Obviously, if employees were able to find a job somewhere else then Sodexo would be out of business. But it isn’t. At all. Emory freshman are FORCED, however, to have a meal plan that gives almost $5000 dollars a year to Sodexo per student. We should not be forced to pay a company that we do not support.
Kat
April 20th, 2011
8:55 pm
If the guy isn’t there, then staying overnight (and getting arrested) is just plain old dumb! I would expect more from an Emory student – much more!
northbeach Scott
April 20th, 2011
9:00 pm
Why on earth would sub-contracted employees be given the same rights as full-time Emory employees? They do not deserve the same level of treatment.
I find it amusing to hear of all these concerns about “unfair” wages, treatment, etc. News flash, life is unfair and it always will be.
These silly students sound like some of the same vacuous Emory undergrads that I have interviewed in the past few years. So ill prepared to come into the work force and so ready to be in “management” so that can use their minds to think big thoughts and worry about social causes.
Thank goodness some of the public school graduates and out of state candidates seem to be more grounded and capable. What a sad, misguided bunch of fools.
Joyce
April 20th, 2011
9:11 pm
Maybe we can get these students to protest the injustice that is happening to the teachers in Clayton County, Clarke County, Dekalb County…..really all over the state of Georgia. Teachers, Paraprofessionals, Custodians are losing their jobs right and left but the administrators are not being cut. Now, you talk about fairness…the people at the topic make well over $150,000. with benefits a year but the Teachers, Paraprofessionals, and Custodians do not make 6 figures an they are the ones to go out the door. I believe the top should shrink because they were the ones who managed the money poorly.
If you don’t believe me, look at the contract for people working in the Clarke County Board of Education Office and the other administrator. They had their contracts written so they could never be RIF’d but teachers, paraprofessionals, and custodians were not given that priviledge. You see the people at the top always take care of one another. So please come and help.
This type of employee verses employer has been going on for sometime and it needs to stop in all areas of employment. Also, when you apply for a job and for some odd reason someone else (who is less qualified gets the job) look around they are probably related or a good friend of the family. I thought as I got older things in Georgia (or US) would change but it has not.
If you check it out, you might find policy regulations on contract bids at Emory. They have to have a procedure for awarding contracts. They should have received a least 3 bids or more. Check this out.
If you want to see the contract, and they do not want to give it to you, you can use the freedom of information act (GA Code) This works. Many people have had to use this to get information from school systems. There are many ways to get the solution for this crisis handled.
But, the people who work in the cafeteria are under the company that pays there check. Also, if you would like to look at another interesting point, check out these companies who take application for other companies. They are called temp services. That is really a hoot! Why have a middle man/woman to get you the job. And, when you get a job you will work so many weeks before you are premanently hired. And, it is my understanding the temp service recoops your wages from the employer from the first day you worked as a temporary employee. This must have been a government plan of some kind.
Hope you all of studying so you can pass your exams.
A Conservative Voice
April 20th, 2011
9:19 pm
We’re heading down a dangerous road, folks. As Barney would say….”we need to nip this in the bud”.
Emory Food Service Worker
April 20th, 2011
9:20 pm
To everyone who is ranting and raving about raised tuition and costs to students, please note that: RESPECT IS FREE! In response to the wage debate, I’d gladly make a dollar or two less an hour to feel respected and enjoy coming to work on a daily basis. Money doesn’t solve everything.
Thank you to all the students who are willing to take social responsibility and stand up for what they believe is right. Sodexo management on Emory’s campus ROUTINELY intimidates and degrades hourly workers when complaints or concerns are brought to their attention. I have firsthand knowledge of many of these concerns and I am throughly disgusted by how they have been handled to date. To state (paraphrasing) “if you don’t like it you should go seek employment elsewhere” is an extremely short sighted mindset. Especially in a state where the unemployment rate is two points higher then the national average. The economy is hurting and jobs are hard to find. To simply pack up shop and move elsewhere is not plausible for most hourly workers.
The administration has every right to demand that sub-contractors treat their workers in a manner they deem appropriate. At the end of the day, Emory University via students and parents are still footing the bill and anything happening (or not happening) on Emory’s campus still reflects on the University itself.
william thomas
April 20th, 2011
9:23 pm
plz call the press bout them trying to arrest us at emory for a peacefull sit in!
vanilla
April 20th, 2011
9:24 pm
Good on them. Don’t let the greedy corporate bastards jade ya’ll.
faculty member
April 20th, 2011
9:30 pm
No one forces anyone to work for a particular employer. I haven’t always been happy with Emory, but life is full of trade-offs. The “living wage” idea is a false premise. No one forces an employee to have a family and children if they don’t have the job skills and market value to support them. Grow up!
william thomas
April 20th, 2011
9:32 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodexo
northbeach Scott
April 20th, 2011
9:33 pm
Definition of a Conservative: A liberal with a mortgage and children.
These childish students will look back on this experience and realize what chumps they have been after a few years. Or perhaps they will never realize it and they will continue to try and tell those of use who create wealth how we should spend our hard earned money on their perceived just causes.
For arguement’s sake, let’s just say that a “living wage” is $36k per year. Should an unskilled worker who goes throught the motions like a zombie be paid with no real thought on how to create wealth for the business almost half of what a jr management person is paid?
I do not think so. The difference in wages is what hopefully motivates folks to do well in school, learn critical thinking skills,understand how business works and then apply them. It is so easy to speak of fairness with other people’s money. Just like with Obama, who wants to make things “fair” for the clueless and shiftless and wants me to pay for it.
Emory Grad X 3
April 20th, 2011
9:36 pm
Really pathetic to blame food workers’ lack of initiative in finding a job with more r-e-s-p-e-c-t on the economy. Bush and Obama, both supported by >90% of the people writing these inane comments, are to blame. I hear Mickey D’s is hiring 50,000 employees (see AJC article Monday); McDonalds is a testament to the enduring power of capitalism and has served as the source of first jobs for many who went on to great success there and in other busiensses. To blame lack of “respectful” jobs on the economy is myopic and hypocritical coming from people who supported the proximate causes of our economic situation. Go find some r-e-s-p-e-c-t. We’re all out of it here.
Light
April 20th, 2011
9:37 pm
Wow, so critical of the college students. Besides getting an education, isn’t being a student also an opportunity for them to explore and learn?. They will experience enough of the real world when that time occurs and hopefully be grateful for the time they had in college to fight for causes they believe in. For now,leave them alone and quit bashing them…Geesh, some of these posts sound like angry people who are mad with their lives and careers. If a college student can’t be idealistic and believe s/he can change the world (regardless of how anyone else feels about their cause), we have a REALLY BIG problem with higher education and their learning environments…lol, lol…I’m just saying…
voiceofreason
April 20th, 2011
9:57 pm
I applaud the concern of Emory students who have a concept of the dignity of labor. The excoriation of the working people is a constant refrain of so called republicans (small r). True Republicans (capital R if you missed it…) are classic liberals who respect labor and the workers – cf. Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith. Do a bit of reading if you can tear yourself away from faux news.
Julian
April 20th, 2011
9:59 pm
Let’s not talk about lazy and arrogant students. These are some of the few students willing to actively protest the unfair treatment of Sodexo employees. And no, the workers cannot simply find jobs elsewhere. It’s not that easy nowadays to secure a job, and you are pretty much at the whim of the employer once you have a job. I think it is safe to say that quitting is not an option for most of the Sodexo employees. Emory spends millions of dollars to get their buildings LEED certified and to maintain a reputation as an environmentally sustainable university. But what is the value of social sustainability?
Davan S. Mani
April 20th, 2011
10:03 pm
These protestors have worked a day in their life more than these comment folks. They work in the classroom, outside of schools, and in activism which is work if you do it right and they do. Just because you have children doesn’t mean you are a parent . If you are a parent, you would be respectful of these kids at all times who care about someone others than themselves. Your comments show no proof with have no proof.
love2teach
April 20th, 2011
10:15 pm
The bottom line, from a business major: what are YOU personally willing to pay for out of your own pocket? There is NO free ride and even JESUS preached that there would be poor always. I understand the compassion, but how much are these individual students willing to pay PERSONALLY?
TheTruthHurts
April 20th, 2011
10:27 pm
These are the typical Emory students…they think it ok to tax people who work there ass off and sacrifice to make THEMSELVES SUCCESSFUL and then tax them higher to give to the less fortunate…..but when asked to give some of their GPA away to those with lower GPA that are not as fortunate to have a 4.0 GPA they have all sorts of excuses…..LIBERALS ARE HYPOCRITE LOSERS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOyaJ2UI7Ss&feature=player_embedded#at=182
Cam
April 20th, 2011
10:54 pm
Maureen,
I want to preface this by saying that I love your blog and I read it all the time as I really pay attention to what is going on in the public education realm – however, I’m an Emory student and I really want you to do some digging on this story to find out how it all started. These students mean well and have been at this for over a year but a lot of these kids have forgotten that their lifestyle is not necessarily the lifestyle of everyone else.
This started when students were “hanging out” with some of the food service works (which is fine) but then they realized how “terrible” those workers lives were. I’m not advocating for or against this protest but I’m merely saying that these students may be looking at this situation from the wrong perspective. I also think they may be forgetting that if President Wagner decides to end his contract with Sodexo not every single one of these people will be transferred to another campus or facility, it’s a good possibility that they may get fired.
As I said, I really think these students mean well but I’m a bit inclined to believe that they may be starting a controversy amid the workers that didn’t exist prior to this or at least did not exist to this extent. Sure everyone should be treated equally but at the end of the day they are in fact contracted. “Should” is not always reality. The perception that those first students got from “hanging out” with the workers comes from not understanding that to these people, maybe their job isn’t so bad and it certainly is not as bad as the alternative – unemployment.
Always Skeptical
April 20th, 2011
11:05 pm
It figures…Finally, even at my dear Emory, the worst business practices of corporate America have finally found a way into Cox Hall and the DUC. There was a time, not too long ago, that as a food-service worker at Emory,you were employed by the university. If your child worked hard and got in, he/she could go to school there on a courtesy scholarship. Now all of the jobs are farmed out to corporate goons who couldn’t give a rat’s a$$ about sending your kid to college. Wake up america! As long as we put little value on the working class and they work that they perform and their right to organize, we are doomed. Jim Laney was the end of an era.
Bobo Server
April 20th, 2011
11:26 pm
@ students: Don’t quit what your doing. Stay strong!
Ignorance is bliss
April 21st, 2011
12:30 am
All of you idiots saying that some people deserve to paid less than they need to live on and without that happening no one would ever be motivated, have you ever stopped to think this position through? First, that when a working person doesn’t make enough to live on in a full time job, we all pay through higher taxes for aid to the working poor such as food stamps and WIC. Second, through higher health care costs for when the working poor have to use ERs because they have no coverage to go to a doctor when a problem arises. It is a full circle and I actually would prefer that employers pay their people enough to live on so I don’t have to make up the difference. I know that is shocking as a position because it doesn’t fit into any of your liberal or conservative pigeonholes, but it is the only rational way to think about it. Full time jobs should pay living wages or we all pay to make up the difference.
Have you heard the one about Walmart managers telling their new hires how to apply for food stamps and peachcare because their wages will be low enough to qualify? Well, it’s no joke it happens all the time. I for one am tired of subsidizing megacorp’s profits with my tax dollars when they refuse to pay the actual cost of a checkout person. When companies don’t pay, we all pay.
johndoe
April 21st, 2011
12:53 am
To the people who are belittling Emory students, you are ignorant.
Student Neophyte
April 21st, 2011
1:00 am
why can’t everyone just make $100k a year and have a living wage?
Marc
April 21st, 2011
1:07 am
I went to Emory for 2 years and dropped out. Why? It was extremely boring and what they taught had NO basis in real life. Today I own my own company and am making WAY more than I ever would have with a degree from that school. Most American kids don’t go there anymore; look at the graduating classes. It’s all asians anymore. Why? Their governments pay their tuitions in return, they must return home to work; otherwise their families get sent to prison in China.
Jones
April 21st, 2011
1:12 am
Reading this string of comments has been interesting, to say the least.
A few patterns I’ve noticed:
For many angry responders, these students are just “children” who don’t know what the ” real world” is. According to this line of thinking, a child is someone who isn’t jaded enough to be indifferent to glaring injustices in the world. They will wake up someday and realize that the exploitation of workers, like sunburns or or the tide, is just the way things work. You wouldn’t want to change the way things work, would you? We should probably stop looking for the cure to cancer, then, shouldn’t we? Because that’s just how “the world” is: people get cancer. It’d be dumb to try and prevent cancer because cancer is a fact of life–like labor exploitation and starvation wages. You can’t change “the way things are.” What nonsense.
But the best line of thinking that people use to justify giving people starvation wages and treating them like animals is the good ol’ “they should go quit and work somewhere else or maybe they should’ve tried harder” bit. The greatest flaw this argument is its complete dismissal of the most fundamental fact of economics: scarcity. According to this flawed logic, if everyone “tried hard,” “went to school,” and “saved their pennies,” they wouldn’t have to work at Sodexo. Everyone knows that capitalism is a meritocracy: it doles out its rewards to those who deserve it, namely those who work hard. But there’s only so many “good jobs” to go around–there can only be so many CEOs, doctors, and lawyers in the world. Consequently, everyone else will have to work the “not good” jobs. Indeed, most people will. And the world’s most vital work is also its least appreciated and most degraded work–food service, for example. Everyone can’t have the cushy upper management job that somehow entitles you to scoff at or demean everyone else for not being as “good” as you are. People have to do this work. It’s literally the most important job there is: feeding people. And yet you somehow treat them like the dirt under your shoes. Furthermore, competition in capitalism forces companies to “cut costs.” Companies in highly competitive industries like food service have to outdo one another, which drives them to cut back on the quality of their products and the wages of their workers: which is why we get E. Coli from eating hamburgers at restarants that pay their workers minimum wage. Ol’ Tim Bob can’t stay in business when Joe Billy pays his workers a dollar less. Sodexo workers might be able to choose for another employer, but those other employers likely use many of the same deplorable practices as Sodexo. And if 25% of college graduates aged 18-24 are unemployed right now (thanks to the whizzes in Wall Street), imagine how much more difficult it is for someone without a high school diploma to somehow successfully acquire a job with better pay and a better work environment.
One of you had the audacity to say that “maybe they shouldn’t have a family and kids.” Are you saying poor people shouldn’t breed? That’s so thoughtful of you.
According to one of you, Jesus himself said that there’d always be poor people. So, you’re using the guy who said the greatest commandment was to love one another to justify the acceptance of poverty? You’re right: he did say that, but he also said that it’s the responsibility of everyone to take care of the poor. Look it up in Deuteronomy. You’re forgetting that Jesus was a vagrant: he wandered around from place to place begging for money. What a scumbag, huh? I bet he was an Emory undergrad–spoiled brat.
The lowlives who condescend to and demean these students for standing up for the principles Emory University purportedly stands for should be ashamed. Don’t YOU have anything better to do than foist your twisted, misanthropic views of the world onto the internet? Isn’t there more to college education than sitting around and reading economics (which many of you recommended) and learning to accept the pervasive inequity in our society?
BehindEnemyLines
April 21st, 2011
2:39 am
Step one toward a better America: Raise the voting age
CW
April 21st, 2011
4:38 am
The primary objective of the students is to get Emory to establish a code of conduct for contractors. Emory has made human rights a core principle of the institution. The contractor, Sodexo, an international company with headquarters in Paris, also provides food service for Morehouse, Ga Tech, and others. Morehouse food servers went on strike a few months ago over their treatment. The President of the University of Washington is threatening to fire Sodexo over the treatment of its foodservers. Two human rights organizations have isued reports very critical of Sodexo’s treatment of its staff. Emory is now being challenged to harmonize its actions with its rhetoric supporting fundamental human rights.
catlady
April 21st, 2011
7:10 am
Well, I guess my take on this is different from many others. I applaud the students! Not about their “cause,” about which I know little, but about the idea that they have decided NOT to be just sheep. Too many young people nowadays just blindly accept what they are told (like their parents do, BTW) rather than thinking for themselves and acting when they think there is injustice.
That is one of the ways it seems like to me this age group and their somewhat-younger-than-me parents differ from my generation: They blindly accept what Fox News or some other TV channel/personality tells them and are led, blind as bats, to the slaughter.
I am reminded of an old Doonesbury cartoon where the students in the class are blinding writing down whatever the professor says so he starts making absolutely crazy statements. They continue writing it down, and one student says to another, “Isn’t he great! I didn’t know half this stuff before!”
So, whatever their “cause,” at least these students are engaging.
Consider this
April 21st, 2011
8:30 am
From the Emory Wheel:
Sodexo provides a “living wage” for its employees and revisits the living wage annually, Mitchell said.
This year, the wage was set at $10.50, which is nearly 45 percent more than the federal minimum wage at $7.25.
“The least anyone can be paid working for Sodexo at Emory is $10.50,” Mitchell said. “Depending on your skill set, you will be paid more.”
By the way, Emory provides free transportation to many Marta stops in the form of the Cliff Ride.
Lowcountry Dawg
April 21st, 2011
8:52 am
You can fix stupid! Stupid = Liberalism
Lowcountry Dawg
April 21st, 2011
8:54 am
Well…stupid me! You CAN’T fix stupid! Stupid=Liberalism
Philosopher
April 21st, 2011
9:08 am
@Emory alum: I agree. And I am glad to see someone who cares about someone else’s plight other than their own. I am so, so tired of the rantings of hard -ass, penny-pinching wallet worshipers. I don’t even care if the students are wasting their time..it’s THEIR time…I’m not paying for it and neither are any of the rest on here. Emory has a history of terrorizing anyone who attempts to improve the working conditions and if you even whisper the word “union”, they go after you BIG time. There is always the OTHER side to any issue…what is great about America is that we are free to unveil that other side and fight for it if we choose…even if the other guy is bigger or louder or meaner. Running off to look for another job is not only impractical (anybody paying attention to the job market/unemployment these days?) but running away simply puts another person in that place to suffer the same injustice…it takes character and courage to stay and try to make make things better.
A Conservative Voice
April 21st, 2011
9:22 am
All of you who are saying…..”It’s not so easy finding another job in this economy” obviously haven’t been reading the news about all the illegals here in Georgia. Tell you what you freakin’ Emory Liberals, get rid of all the illegals first and then we’ll talk; however, I think the employment situation would be so much improved, you’d be ashamed to open your liberal mouths.
DW
April 21st, 2011
9:36 am
I want to know when the Research Techs are going to unionize.
A liberal with a mortgage and children
April 21st, 2011
9:39 am
This liberal proudly raised the kids to be generous, to care for those less blessed, and to worship something other than the almighty dollar. And we are doing quite well, thank you! We liberals are deperately needed to add balance to the mean-spirited, selfish, hard-hearted other side.
Jonathan e
April 21st, 2011
9:51 am
These group of idiot students should be expelled. They are subcontractors, get it? Its unfortunate that colleges don’t offer real world 101. if they don’t like their wages or how they are treated, then they are free to go elsewhere. Employment-at-will, what an amazing thing.
Pluto
April 21st, 2011
9:58 am
Workers of the World Unite! Why are these altruistic idealists even bothering with college and an expensive one at that. Just go down to the Union or community organizing recruiting center and sign up.
A liberal with a mortgage and children
April 21st, 2011
10:34 am
And you can thank all these idiotic, stupid, altruistic liberals for 8 hour work days, weekends, bathroom breaks, paid overtime, holidays, child labor protection laws, etc, etc…
Pluto
April 21st, 2011
10:51 am
And market dynamics had absolutely nothing to do with improved working conditions; it was command and control government regulations only.
A liberal with a mortgage and children
April 21st, 2011
11:09 am
It certainly was not the result of kindly, benevolent, generous, wealthy employers (being facetious, here). Humans are just a commodity to these folks…It was in response to the outcry of the people to the only people willing to change the staus quo. It’s a pity that command and control government is often the only resort against tyrrany…but at least we in America have that.
Pluto
April 21st, 2011
11:19 am
Gee and all this time I thought command and control government was tyranny. I am free to seek employment elsewhere or start my own business if I am not being treated to my liking and I have exercised this option in the past. Nobody was holding a gun to my head.
Just Wondering
April 21st, 2011
11:43 am
I think that all of us were once wide-eyed idealist right out of college who thought we could change the world, I was a social worker right out of college working with the most needy and lowest rungs of society, so I feel compassion for anyone who wants to better themselves. However, I found that you can only help those who are willing to help themselves. I just have a couple of questions for the students and anyone else who thinks that organizing and unionizing will help these people.
1. Do you really know who you are ‘working for’ and who is supporting your protest activities? From the article, this is only 25 students (out of a student population of approximately 12,000) protesting and ’some outside people’. No mention of actual Sodexho workers.
Have you checked with the Sodexho workers as to whether they want a union and have been advised of what they would have to pay in union dues? Who are the outside people? Union organizers? Who benefits the most from organizing these food service workers? The workers? No chance, ….the union leaders and bosses and the political machinery that all those unions support are the real benefactors.
In one of my previous jobs, I was forced to belong to a union for 12 years. Although we were in a right to work state, GA, and supposedly could resign from the union, the national contract with the union required the company to still take out the $55/mo union dues from our paychecks. Even if we didn’t want to be represented by the union, we had to pay…. talk about ‘taxation without representation’.
Then when the unions called a strike and forced the company into bankruptcy, did any of us get even one cent of the $8000+ in union dues I had paid in over the last 12 years? Nope, not one dime to help support me and my family. Instead we watched as our union ‘played hardball’ with our jobs and livlihood making demands that the company couldn’t and wouldn’t meet. The union representatives continued to draw a paycheck from the union and were later hired by the union to organize unionization drives at other companies.
Then let’s talk about worker intimidation. Before the strike, several union activists were ’sabotaging’ equipment costing millions of dollars and actually putting lives in danger. Once the strike was called, if a worker decided that they needed to cross the picket lines to continue to put food on their table and take care of their family, they were threatened and intimidated with harm. Replacement workers and anyone deciding to go back to work were called ’scabs’ and worst. These were the same people who had been your co-workers just days before.
Our company eventually folded and instead of the almost $1200/mo I was to get from the company retirement plan, I now receive $147/mo from what was left in the retirement fund once the assets were sold off. If you think the unions actually care about the workers other than as pawns and lemmings they can lead off a cliff, you are sadly mistaken. The union representatives and bosses didn’t suffer and the company leaders had their golden parachutes, only the workers were left to scramble to find new jobs.
2. I am not so callous as to believe the students are not interested in bettering the lives of the food service workers and care about their fellow man, Why don’t they enlist some of their peers in the business school to develop a business plan to start their own food service company?
If they can show everyone that they can run a competitive company with better wages, better worker treatment, etc. I am confident that Emory would be happy to sign a contract with them to provide food service for the university. In fact I am sure that they would pay a premium to have an employee owned and operated company doing business on the campus. They could even structure the company where the ‘executives’ are paid no more than 5X the lowest paid worker and show the world how insane it is for certain executives to be paid thousands of times what their employees are paid.
Instead of telling someone else how they should run their company, show them that workers will be motivated to do better if they are treated fairly and with respect. There are companies out there that are doing right by their employees, right by their stockholders and right by the community and environment. Go emulate them. I just hope once you find that you have to meet all the payroll taxes, health insurance, government regulations, etc. that when you look in the mirror you end up looking just like Sodexho.
Consider this
April 21st, 2011
11:55 am
To Liberal with a mortgage, I’d encourage you to read the Emory president’s response letter in the link above (in the article). It seems to me the university has an understanding of the issues and is hardly engaged in tyranny. From the letter, it is clear that there are other, national players involved in the debate. Having said that, it doesn’t bother me that the students want to protest on behalf of a union as this is, of course, their right to do so.
A liberal with a mortgage and children
April 21st, 2011
11:56 am
Maybe on Pluto life has such cushy choices for all. But here in America, most of us don’t have such sweet options. And it takes large numbers of workers to get life’s dirty jobs done. Safety regulations and worker’s rights (command and control government, if that is how you must think of it) are only tyrrany to those who must be forced to treat the worker bees humanely.
Pluto
April 21st, 2011
1:22 pm
I think I get it now; you’re one of those AuntieAmerican Americans that believes that the wheels of capitalism are greased by the blood of the workers or something like that. Well it’s a good thing that you hold a mortgage and have a family now we just have to work on growing up. Happy Resurrection.
Coco
April 21st, 2011
1:28 pm
They mean that these ordinary sub-contract workers are not covered by the pie-in-the-sky Emory “code of conduct” and other results of the liberal thinking that has taken over the place. These employees are out in the REAL WORLD, which of course most of the students will continue to think is a TV show, until which time they are launched out into it. Being talked down to in a meeting is going to be the least of their concerns after a few years, I’ll bet.
J.C.
April 21st, 2011
3:45 pm
Actually, Emory reimburses this contractor to pay its employeesthe Emory minimum wage, which is over $10/hr. This is more than the workers coud get at other contractor clients.
It’s not about pay. It’s about unionizing the contractor workers. And it’s about wanting the University to pay more money for benefits and increase its payroll. That would increase costs for all.
Clearly, these students need more schoolwork to do.
OTOH
April 22nd, 2011
3:08 am
Let us all praise the empathy of the students as they demand someone else pay for what they want! Someday they will find out that Evil Sodexo is paying their workers more than their local competitors. Then what sit ins at Piccadilly?
I remember Dooley’s Den and the Blue Buffant. Good times.
Advocate
April 22nd, 2011
9:58 am
Sodexho is a contractor for Atlanta Public Schools as acquired by Supt Beverly Hall as she outsourced the APS cafeteria staff and the meals have been horrible since they have been in the system. They only care about the cheap bottom line at the expense of the health of the students.
APS is the only district in the state with this horrible outsourced vendor called Sodexho and I hope they leave with her as soon as it can happen. Who serves “pizza with collard greens”?The Emory students are on to something believe me that company has issues. Do a google search and see for yourself.
Dr NO
April 22nd, 2011
1:46 pm
student
April 20th, 2011
5:09 pm
Living wage…lol. You need more indcotrination at the First Church of Ebenezer.
Judy Butler
April 22nd, 2011
5:31 pm
President Wagner of Emory University gave a great inaugraul address upon accepting the Emory presidency in which he spoke of the divisiveness and isolation that plagues the larger world community – his speech was an articulation of what he saw as the role of the privileged higher academic community in the fight against such divisiveness, specifically between the haves and the have nots “To whom much has been given, of them much will be required. The link between privilege and obligation is inescapable and strong – Let me repeat. The true purpose of higher education is to lead us out of our self-
centered universe to a place where we can perceive the world from others’ perspectives
and have a positive effect on the community. ”
The president was speaking during a time when Emory Univeresity’ s past relationship to slavery and their contracting of companies and tradespeople that used slaves was an issue in the press, and his inaugural speech tries to address what responsibilities Emory had because of the past associations that they contracted that benefited from the oppression of others. He expressed regret for Emory University’ s role in the exploitation of slaves, and yet he resists a very current, local and immediate opportunity to not repeat the same mistake. President Wagner’ s response to this current claim that Emory financially benefits from contracting with shady partners like Sudexo is to frame the conflict lawsuit between big labor versus Sudexo, but the International Human Rights Watch and other international human rights organizations have raised issues specifically with regard to Sudexo and the president does not address their concerns – nor even reference them. Some academic. He parrots the party line with regard to Sudexo – and the party is Sudexo – saying that there is no reason to NOT continue to contract with Sudexo – like they deserve to be considered innocent until proven guilty – this is not a courtroom, this is about a contract and its attendant working conditions – and it is an opportunity for Emory to make a stand as a consumer against divisiveness and close the gap between the have-nots who serve their meals– not only does Wagner ignore the opportunity, he defends Sudexos right to the benefit of the doubt – hardly an attempt to lead the way on safe and fair working conditions. There is no justification for continuing to give this company the benefit of the doubt or Emorys contract if internationally recognized human rights groups have given good reason to question Sudexos business and labor practices.
I was a contract worker at Emory for more than 10 years and I must say I am appalled, dismayed and disappointed by Emory University President Wagners response to the students who have demonstrated their concern for this issue – an unselfish, responsible, rare and brave act. This demonstration and their efforts in the name of their fellow Emory community members is not your typical resume community charity work that students compile like credits while in college. Quite the opposite, the students were threatened with arrest and Emory called in Dekalb county police and attempted to intimidate the students by threatening to have them arrested.
This effort by an Emory student group is a true act of empowerment, a sincere sharing of power across social lines that allows the students power as consumers to be brought to bear on the companies that solicit their business for the benefit of the workers who serve them and are vulnerable to reprisals – students, from their privileged position as consumers are empowered to act without the threat of losing a job. Their articulation of their concern for the people who live in their community is EXACTLY the kind of responsible concern that President Wagner described and called for in his first Inaugural address 2004:
Higher education teaches us that our own experiences and personal
“data base” are incomplete until we understand the needs, issues, and opportunities of
others. Higher education, by strengthening communication and bonds among us,
weakens the forces that pull us apart.
“To whom much has been given, of them much will be required.” The link between privilege and obligation is inescapable and strong
….all members of the Emory University community, I do believe that,
when privilege and responsibility are held together, genuine higher education is a
compelling answer to divisiveness and isolation in the world.
Let me repeat. The true purpose of higher education is to lead us out of our self-
centered universe to a place where we can perceive the world from others’ perspectives
and have a positive effect on the community. Higher education is as much about gaining
insight as it is about gaining information; as much about seeking wisdom as it is about
seeking knowledge.
I see that the President has at least the rap down for think globally – it would be even better if he would look for opportunities to act locally as well – and commend Emory students when they actually are functioning as a force for good and for the good of their community members, rather than threatening to lock them up for having the temerity to ask that the administration respond to their concerns. The real world sucks when you decide that it does – sincerely Judy Butler ps: be the change you would like to see in the world – Ghandi
northbeach Scott
April 22nd, 2011
8:25 pm
Judy, not sure I would quote Ghandi supporting your cause. That man sacrificed hundreds of thousands of his followers and delayed the emancipation of India almost 20 years because of his hubris. He was in many ways a discraceful human being and a hypocrite.
Anonymous black student
April 26th, 2011
12:59 am
Yea maybe the spoiled white rich kids, i have yet to meet a spoiled black person on this campus, so please dont put us in the same category
Emory students arrested for protest of worker treatment. Students plan vigil tonight | Get Schooled
April 26th, 2011
1:02 pm
[...] I guess Emory changed its mind about allowing students to protest the treatment of sub-contract workers on the campus. (Read this blog from last week for background.) [...]
Ole Guy
April 26th, 2011
5:39 pm
Many of us will/might remember the 60s sit-ins and demonstrations of various crecendos regarding ROTC activities on campuses across the Country; we may even remember the tragedy at Kent State. Like it or not/support it or not, this is part of the cornerstone of democracy: peaceful gatherings, freedom of speech, etc. If this demonstration was centered on topics high on political agendas, such as the Cobb County Board of Kings’ family values schtick, or some such crap shoved down the political throats of the religous right, the entire event would receive all the pc reverence hypocritically possible. But what the hay, these are just low-wage expendables, right…