The Progressive Faculty Group at University of California Davis (PFG) released a report entitled yesterday “From the Shadows: How the University of California, Davis Contracting-Out Fosters Workers Poverty” criticizing university administrations’ practice of contracting-out food services.
“Most of these Sodexho workers are people of Color with the breakdown being, 39 percent Latina and Latino, 16 percent African American or black, 8 percent Asian or Pacific Islanders. As a result of this institutional relationship between the university and Sodexho, the mostly minority workers belong to a subclass within the UCD community receiving far worse wages and benefits and having worse working conditions than those workers in the same jobs as those workers directly employed by UC across the university system. And UC Davis is the only UC that does not directly employ their food service workers.”
According to the report the impact of the university contracting out its labor is multifold. First it leaves employees vulnerable:
“Sodexho’s drive to maximize profit margins has significant impact on the working conditions of contracted-out UCD workers. While UCD workers have union representation these workers are at-will employees and vulnerable to Sodexho’s whims when it comes to changing wages, benefits and working conditions.”
As Fred Block, Professor of Sociology in his comments yesterday at the press conference argued:
“It’s not just the pay and benefits that makes this a violation of the principles of community, it’s the fact that these employees, have no protection against arbitrary management decisions. They are at-will employees, they can be fired for no particular reason. They deserve the same protections that university employees have.”
Contracting out also has a severe and negative impact on wages:
“Even with recent changes in wages and health care benefits for contracted-out workers, their compensation is far below that of comparable workers at other UC campuses. Until recently a contracted-out Cook III earned only $10.85 starting wage, which is 36% less than a UCD Medical Center Cook doing the same work. Despite the fact that UCD administration and Sodexho succumbed to worker and community pressure to improve contracted-out worker wages, their wages continue to be 5 to 9% below those of workers doing the same work at the UCD Medical Center in Sacramento.”
Furthermore the report shows the relationship between wages for Sodexho workers and the cost of living, what it would take to be able to live on a salary:
“It takes a full time hourly income of $22.03 to support a single parent family in the Sacramento Region, which is 103% more than a contracted-out UCD Food Service worker makes.”
West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon spoke to this issue during the press conference and its impact on this region:
“There’s hard data that proves the case and the impact of the University’s employment relationship, wage structure focusing on this campus, for this community living in poverty. I’m here because where are these folks living. Where are the workers who are employed by Sodexho but really working for the university living their daily lives? Many of them are residents of my community, West Sacramento, because it’s a more affordable place. And the impacts of poverty, university inspired poverty, on people and families affects the town in which I live in.
I see this every day, folks who have inadequate health care, who don’t have the wages in order to make basic needs for their families. So it’s not just a question of what happens on the campus but the impacts on neighborhoods and communities throughout this area.”
Health care and the affordability of health coverage is devastating to Sodexho workers.
“As the cost of health care has skyrocketed, affordable benefits are essential for workers to maintain a healthy standard of living. The lack of affordable benefits for contracted-out workers in conjunction with their poverty wages has exacerbated the already dire circumstances workers’ families live with daily. Until the first of this year, health care benefits provided to contracted-out UCD workers were 95% more expensive than the benefits directly employed UC workers receive. As UCD administrators and Sodexho were compelled to make changes to contracted-out workers wages, they were also compelled to make recent changes in their health care benefits. Unfortunately the changes have been inadequate to meet the basic needs of
working families – too little too late.”
As the faculty group finds, even with the additional stipend of $100, the cost for family coverage is 41 percent greater for Sodexho workers than UC employees and thus remains out of reach for many contracted-out workers.
As the Progressive Faculty group wrote in their press release:
“We heard stories from workers in dire situations such as Esther Juarez who needed emergency medical treatment in a life and death situation and is now strapped with tens of thousands of dollars of medical debt due to lack of health care coverage.”
ASUCD Senator Albert Parnell came to show support for the Sodexho workers not just for himself but on behalf of other ASUCD Senators.
“There’s been resolutions in the past that ASUCD brought up that show the support and that show that we’re hear in solidarity for these workers so that they can live a comfortable life… So they should not have to worry about whether they should choose to pay for the medications or have to put food on the table for their families and themselves. $11 per hour is not a lot of money. It’s nowhere near living comfortable and being able to survive. It’s nowhere near being able to know that if you ever get injured, or if your health is even in jeopardy, that you can go to the hospital and not have to worry about co-payments that are going to jeopardize whether you are going to be able to put food on the table for your family or your kids or whether you are going to put your health in jeopardy.”
Speaking yesterday as well was Joe Moreno. As we mentioned last week, Joe came to meet President Bill Clinton and then suffered a serious incident with his heart because he could not afford to pay for his heart medications. He is just out from the hospital but his condition remains precarious. He told me that his heart no longer beats normally. He has about 15 percent of capacity. He will be on medication the rest of his life and he’s not even sure he will be able to resume his full work.
He told the crowd of supporters:
“I am a contracted out Cook at UCD and I have been with Sodexho for 2 years. I have a heart condition, which requires me to take 5 different medications. The problem is that because of the low wages and the expensive medical insurance, I have been uninsured; the medications would cost me $400 a month, which I just can’t afford. I used to be on medical public assistance, but then I got cut off of that by the state about a year and a half ago. Now I save up the medication that I do have and only take them when it gets really bad. Lately I feel like all my strength is gone, and I get weak easily and have shortness of breath which makes it hard for me to walk. I’m hoping to be able to get medical insurance this year.”
The worst part for him is affording the co-pay. And sadly none of this would have occurred had Sodexho offered better health care last year. For the rest of his life, he will live with this fact. Joe is not alone as we have described numerous workers who have suffered greatly from lack of affordable health care. This day and age, health care cannot be a luxury, it is a necessity. And those who do not have it will have a greatly diminished life span and a greatly diminished quality of life. The worst part to me is that the people making these decision are not only public employees but they are living in great comfort receiving compensation of well over $100,000 and in many cases over twice that. We are not talking about a tremendous among of workers, it seems that it would only be right for them to get decent and affordable health coverage. How difficult would it be to have them able to attend the university health center and receiver adequate care and treatment?
Community member Lourdes spoke representing the Gospel Justice Group of St. James Catholic Church:
“I’m standing here for Esther, for Lidya, and for Joe – three UC Davis campus food service workers who I know. I believe that the ability to work to earn a living is a right of all people. All workers have the right to a fair wage, to organize themselves, and to work in good conditions. This is NOT happening on campus for the SODEXHO Food Service Workers!”
For these reasons, the fight will go on and the report as released is very critical of university practices. How much longer will this community allow this university to continue to operate as it has?
—Doug Paul Davis reporting
It’s great to see the professors taking such a strong stand in support of workers… Makes me proud to have graduated from UC.
It’s great to see the professors taking such a strong stand in support of workers… Makes me proud to have graduated from UC.
It’s great to see the professors taking such a strong stand in support of workers… Makes me proud to have graduated from UC.
It’s great to see the professors taking such a strong stand in support of workers… Makes me proud to have graduated from UC.
There were only 28 out of hundreds of UCD Profs taking a stance. Does that tell you anything?
There were only 28 out of hundreds of UCD Profs taking a stance. Does that tell you anything?
There were only 28 out of hundreds of UCD Profs taking a stance. Does that tell you anything?
There were only 28 out of hundreds of UCD Profs taking a stance. Does that tell you anything?
I asked them about it, and they haven’t really done a lot of outreach. They now have a webpage and expect that number to grow especially after the publicity from this report.
I asked them about it, and they haven’t really done a lot of outreach. They now have a webpage and expect that number to grow especially after the publicity from this report.
I asked them about it, and they haven’t really done a lot of outreach. They now have a webpage and expect that number to grow especially after the publicity from this report.
I asked them about it, and they haven’t really done a lot of outreach. They now have a webpage and expect that number to grow especially after the publicity from this report.
The other point I should make is that in general UC Davis is research university, I was always amazed by how apolitical the faculty was in general, how uninvolved locally, it was in very stark contrast to where I went to undergraduate school.
The other point I should make is that in general UC Davis is research university, I was always amazed by how apolitical the faculty was in general, how uninvolved locally, it was in very stark contrast to where I went to undergraduate school.
The other point I should make is that in general UC Davis is research university, I was always amazed by how apolitical the faculty was in general, how uninvolved locally, it was in very stark contrast to where I went to undergraduate school.
The other point I should make is that in general UC Davis is research university, I was always amazed by how apolitical the faculty was in general, how uninvolved locally, it was in very stark contrast to where I went to undergraduate school.
I have a suggestion for the UC Davis faculty: take an across the board 2 percent reduction in total compensation (wages and all benefits) and put all that money in a fund to be given to the various employees on campus you think are underpaid or suffer from getting too little in benefits. Two percent is a very small reduction. Most profs won’t even notice the loss in income. Because the faculty cares so much about the plight and exploitation of the food service workers, surely they would be glad to sacrifice for them.
Of course, if they are not willing to cut their pay and benefits for the food service workers, then they are saying, “Let’s just make undergraduate education more unaffordable than it already is.” And it is the latter statement that this benevolent group of professors is making.
I have a suggestion for the UC Davis faculty: take an across the board 2 percent reduction in total compensation (wages and all benefits) and put all that money in a fund to be given to the various employees on campus you think are underpaid or suffer from getting too little in benefits. Two percent is a very small reduction. Most profs won’t even notice the loss in income. Because the faculty cares so much about the plight and exploitation of the food service workers, surely they would be glad to sacrifice for them.
Of course, if they are not willing to cut their pay and benefits for the food service workers, then they are saying, “Let’s just make undergraduate education more unaffordable than it already is.” And it is the latter statement that this benevolent group of professors is making.
I have a suggestion for the UC Davis faculty: take an across the board 2 percent reduction in total compensation (wages and all benefits) and put all that money in a fund to be given to the various employees on campus you think are underpaid or suffer from getting too little in benefits. Two percent is a very small reduction. Most profs won’t even notice the loss in income. Because the faculty cares so much about the plight and exploitation of the food service workers, surely they would be glad to sacrifice for them.
Of course, if they are not willing to cut their pay and benefits for the food service workers, then they are saying, “Let’s just make undergraduate education more unaffordable than it already is.” And it is the latter statement that this benevolent group of professors is making.
I have a suggestion for the UC Davis faculty: take an across the board 2 percent reduction in total compensation (wages and all benefits) and put all that money in a fund to be given to the various employees on campus you think are underpaid or suffer from getting too little in benefits. Two percent is a very small reduction. Most profs won’t even notice the loss in income. Because the faculty cares so much about the plight and exploitation of the food service workers, surely they would be glad to sacrifice for them.
Of course, if they are not willing to cut their pay and benefits for the food service workers, then they are saying, “Let’s just make undergraduate education more unaffordable than it already is.” And it is the latter statement that this benevolent group of professors is making.
I’d like a 2% reduction in comments posted by Rich Rifkin. It might be so small that most people don’t notice it, but others will find it reduces the amount of garbage on the blog. I am one of the latter.
I’d like a 2% reduction in comments posted by Rich Rifkin. It might be so small that most people don’t notice it, but others will find it reduces the amount of garbage on the blog. I am one of the latter.
I’d like a 2% reduction in comments posted by Rich Rifkin. It might be so small that most people don’t notice it, but others will find it reduces the amount of garbage on the blog. I am one of the latter.
I’d like a 2% reduction in comments posted by Rich Rifkin. It might be so small that most people don’t notice it, but others will find it reduces the amount of garbage on the blog. I am one of the latter.
Only 28 out of hundreds of profs? Yes, that tells me that there are some profs. who are not afraid to speak up and do the right thing. Others may be too busy, or simply support these profs. I’m most certain their numbers will grow.
I’m proud to be a UCD alum! Thank you profs!
p.s. to Rich Rifkin – How about a 2 to 3% reduction from Vanderhof and the other administrators that are overpaid at UCD? Sounds fair to me.
Only 28 out of hundreds of profs? Yes, that tells me that there are some profs. who are not afraid to speak up and do the right thing. Others may be too busy, or simply support these profs. I’m most certain their numbers will grow.
I’m proud to be a UCD alum! Thank you profs!
p.s. to Rich Rifkin – How about a 2 to 3% reduction from Vanderhof and the other administrators that are overpaid at UCD? Sounds fair to me.
Only 28 out of hundreds of profs? Yes, that tells me that there are some profs. who are not afraid to speak up and do the right thing. Others may be too busy, or simply support these profs. I’m most certain their numbers will grow.
I’m proud to be a UCD alum! Thank you profs!
p.s. to Rich Rifkin – How about a 2 to 3% reduction from Vanderhof and the other administrators that are overpaid at UCD? Sounds fair to me.
Only 28 out of hundreds of profs? Yes, that tells me that there are some profs. who are not afraid to speak up and do the right thing. Others may be too busy, or simply support these profs. I’m most certain their numbers will grow.
I’m proud to be a UCD alum! Thank you profs!
p.s. to Rich Rifkin – How about a 2 to 3% reduction from Vanderhof and the other administrators that are overpaid at UCD? Sounds fair to me.
“p.s. to Rich Rifkin – How about a 2 to 3% reduction from Vanderhof and the other administrators that are overpaid at UCD? Sounds fair to me.”
I’m more than fine with that. If you read my Enterprise column, you know that I have railed against the massive (inflation-adjusted) increases — from 200-300% over 20 years ago — we pay to university administrators.
The only reason I pointed to faculty members here is because it is members of the faculty who are proposing that food service workers need a larger slice of the pie. It’s some kind of strange fantasy for those who propose these increases in wages and benefits that the money is not going to come out of someone else’s pockets. So if the faculty — which itself is paid far more (in inflation adjusted dollars) than it was 20 years ago, too — wants these workers to get a larger slice, then why shouldn’t the faculty take a smaller one (along with the administrators)? Someone has to.
As the world really works, this won’t happen. The faculty members who pretend they care so much for the plight of the oppressed will not sacrifice anything for them. And the bill will be passed on to students, just as the bill has been passed on to them for decades.
“p.s. to Rich Rifkin – How about a 2 to 3% reduction from Vanderhof and the other administrators that are overpaid at UCD? Sounds fair to me.”
I’m more than fine with that. If you read my Enterprise column, you know that I have railed against the massive (inflation-adjusted) increases — from 200-300% over 20 years ago — we pay to university administrators.
The only reason I pointed to faculty members here is because it is members of the faculty who are proposing that food service workers need a larger slice of the pie. It’s some kind of strange fantasy for those who propose these increases in wages and benefits that the money is not going to come out of someone else’s pockets. So if the faculty — which itself is paid far more (in inflation adjusted dollars) than it was 20 years ago, too — wants these workers to get a larger slice, then why shouldn’t the faculty take a smaller one (along with the administrators)? Someone has to.
As the world really works, this won’t happen. The faculty members who pretend they care so much for the plight of the oppressed will not sacrifice anything for them. And the bill will be passed on to students, just as the bill has been passed on to them for decades.
“p.s. to Rich Rifkin – How about a 2 to 3% reduction from Vanderhof and the other administrators that are overpaid at UCD? Sounds fair to me.”
I’m more than fine with that. If you read my Enterprise column, you know that I have railed against the massive (inflation-adjusted) increases — from 200-300% over 20 years ago — we pay to university administrators.
The only reason I pointed to faculty members here is because it is members of the faculty who are proposing that food service workers need a larger slice of the pie. It’s some kind of strange fantasy for those who propose these increases in wages and benefits that the money is not going to come out of someone else’s pockets. So if the faculty — which itself is paid far more (in inflation adjusted dollars) than it was 20 years ago, too — wants these workers to get a larger slice, then why shouldn’t the faculty take a smaller one (along with the administrators)? Someone has to.
As the world really works, this won’t happen. The faculty members who pretend they care so much for the plight of the oppressed will not sacrifice anything for them. And the bill will be passed on to students, just as the bill has been passed on to them for decades.
“p.s. to Rich Rifkin – How about a 2 to 3% reduction from Vanderhof and the other administrators that are overpaid at UCD? Sounds fair to me.”
I’m more than fine with that. If you read my Enterprise column, you know that I have railed against the massive (inflation-adjusted) increases — from 200-300% over 20 years ago — we pay to university administrators.
The only reason I pointed to faculty members here is because it is members of the faculty who are proposing that food service workers need a larger slice of the pie. It’s some kind of strange fantasy for those who propose these increases in wages and benefits that the money is not going to come out of someone else’s pockets. So if the faculty — which itself is paid far more (in inflation adjusted dollars) than it was 20 years ago, too — wants these workers to get a larger slice, then why shouldn’t the faculty take a smaller one (along with the administrators)? Someone has to.
As the world really works, this won’t happen. The faculty members who pretend they care so much for the plight of the oppressed will not sacrifice anything for them. And the bill will be passed on to students, just as the bill has been passed on to them for decades.
Rich,
Have you worked on the UCD campus? My 30 plus years of experience working with faculty was interesting when it came to paying more to staff members. Many faculty told me they felt the staff members were paid sufficiently. Another large portion of faculty told me that too many staff are overpaid.
Read the line again that said “28”
faculty supported the raises. That leaves about another 1500 or so faculty that said or did nothing.
I have not had the experience of a faculty member pretending about the plight of the oppressed,(your words).
They flat out said the staff is paid well or too much and they don’t have the education to deserve more pay.
In addition the majority of the staff at UCD are good hard working people. Another portion of them are poor employees that lie, cheat and steal from the public. And when they get caught they yell union or racism as loud as they can.
Rich,
Have you worked on the UCD campus? My 30 plus years of experience working with faculty was interesting when it came to paying more to staff members. Many faculty told me they felt the staff members were paid sufficiently. Another large portion of faculty told me that too many staff are overpaid.
Read the line again that said “28”
faculty supported the raises. That leaves about another 1500 or so faculty that said or did nothing.
I have not had the experience of a faculty member pretending about the plight of the oppressed,(your words).
They flat out said the staff is paid well or too much and they don’t have the education to deserve more pay.
In addition the majority of the staff at UCD are good hard working people. Another portion of them are poor employees that lie, cheat and steal from the public. And when they get caught they yell union or racism as loud as they can.
Rich,
Have you worked on the UCD campus? My 30 plus years of experience working with faculty was interesting when it came to paying more to staff members. Many faculty told me they felt the staff members were paid sufficiently. Another large portion of faculty told me that too many staff are overpaid.
Read the line again that said “28”
faculty supported the raises. That leaves about another 1500 or so faculty that said or did nothing.
I have not had the experience of a faculty member pretending about the plight of the oppressed,(your words).
They flat out said the staff is paid well or too much and they don’t have the education to deserve more pay.
In addition the majority of the staff at UCD are good hard working people. Another portion of them are poor employees that lie, cheat and steal from the public. And when they get caught they yell union or racism as loud as they can.
Rich,
Have you worked on the UCD campus? My 30 plus years of experience working with faculty was interesting when it came to paying more to staff members. Many faculty told me they felt the staff members were paid sufficiently. Another large portion of faculty told me that too many staff are overpaid.
Read the line again that said “28”
faculty supported the raises. That leaves about another 1500 or so faculty that said or did nothing.
I have not had the experience of a faculty member pretending about the plight of the oppressed,(your words).
They flat out said the staff is paid well or too much and they don’t have the education to deserve more pay.
In addition the majority of the staff at UCD are good hard working people. Another portion of them are poor employees that lie, cheat and steal from the public. And when they get caught they yell union or racism as loud as they can.
“Have you worked on the UCD campus?”
No. I was a student (undergrad and grad) at three other UC campuses. Although I grew up in Davis and later moved back here, I’ve never had an affiliation with UCD.
“Read the line again that said “28” faculty supported the raises. That leaves about another 1500 or so faculty that said or did nothing.”
While I would guess that most profs are neutral on this particular issue, I’m sure that more than 28 are on the side of the Sodexho activists. The twenty-eight are like just the most motivated. The only way to know for sure would be for the faculty to take a vote.
“Have you worked on the UCD campus?”
No. I was a student (undergrad and grad) at three other UC campuses. Although I grew up in Davis and later moved back here, I’ve never had an affiliation with UCD.
“Read the line again that said “28” faculty supported the raises. That leaves about another 1500 or so faculty that said or did nothing.”
While I would guess that most profs are neutral on this particular issue, I’m sure that more than 28 are on the side of the Sodexho activists. The twenty-eight are like just the most motivated. The only way to know for sure would be for the faculty to take a vote.
“Have you worked on the UCD campus?”
No. I was a student (undergrad and grad) at three other UC campuses. Although I grew up in Davis and later moved back here, I’ve never had an affiliation with UCD.
“Read the line again that said “28” faculty supported the raises. That leaves about another 1500 or so faculty that said or did nothing.”
While I would guess that most profs are neutral on this particular issue, I’m sure that more than 28 are on the side of the Sodexho activists. The twenty-eight are like just the most motivated. The only way to know for sure would be for the faculty to take a vote.
“Have you worked on the UCD campus?”
No. I was a student (undergrad and grad) at three other UC campuses. Although I grew up in Davis and later moved back here, I’ve never had an affiliation with UCD.
“Read the line again that said “28” faculty supported the raises. That leaves about another 1500 or so faculty that said or did nothing.”
While I would guess that most profs are neutral on this particular issue, I’m sure that more than 28 are on the side of the Sodexho activists. The twenty-eight are like just the most motivated. The only way to know for sure would be for the faculty to take a vote.
Rich,
The Faculty is not interested enough to be neutral, let alone vote on this matter.
Rich,
The Faculty is not interested enough to be neutral, let alone vote on this matter.
Rich,
The Faculty is not interested enough to be neutral, let alone vote on this matter.
Rich,
The Faculty is not interested enough to be neutral, let alone vote on this matter.
this is a message for students that here say i dont mind that workers get raises as long as fees dont go up.i well tell you why your fees go up.medical center executives officer (ceo)and chief nurcing officer(cno)salaries were ajusted by up to 39% and also addition 83,000 one time payment to any salary increase.thats not all the list goes on. i think some students need to look deeper into why the fees are going up.it tme for students and worker to come togehter to take back our univerity.
this is a message for students that here say i dont mind that workers get raises as long as fees dont go up.i well tell you why your fees go up.medical center executives officer (ceo)and chief nurcing officer(cno)salaries were ajusted by up to 39% and also addition 83,000 one time payment to any salary increase.thats not all the list goes on. i think some students need to look deeper into why the fees are going up.it tme for students and worker to come togehter to take back our univerity.
this is a message for students that here say i dont mind that workers get raises as long as fees dont go up.i well tell you why your fees go up.medical center executives officer (ceo)and chief nurcing officer(cno)salaries were ajusted by up to 39% and also addition 83,000 one time payment to any salary increase.thats not all the list goes on. i think some students need to look deeper into why the fees are going up.it tme for students and worker to come togehter to take back our univerity.
this is a message for students that here say i dont mind that workers get raises as long as fees dont go up.i well tell you why your fees go up.medical center executives officer (ceo)and chief nurcing officer(cno)salaries were ajusted by up to 39% and also addition 83,000 one time payment to any salary increase.thats not all the list goes on. i think some students need to look deeper into why the fees are going up.it tme for students and worker to come togehter to take back our univerity.