Progress is made in Marriott Negotiations

At a meeting last Wednesday, food service employees on the committee negotiating with Sodexho-Marriott voted to recommend the last offer put on the table to their co-workers.

On Thursday, the Union organizers and members of the committee will review the proposal Marriott gave and the workers will decide whether to accept or reject it.

The committee that voted in favor of the latest offer was comprised of respected food service workers from Mather, the Cave, and the Bistro. Union HERE (Hotel Employees Restaurant Employees) Local 217 represented the workers.

The Chief Organizer of the union and Margo K., the second-chair organizer, were at the table to help with the bargaining but do not take part in voting. Margo K. said that, "The worker's committee was given the last, best, and final offer. The committee recommends that their co-workers accept it."

One of the most important issues included in the contract was a 65-cent raise guaranteed every September for three years. Another important issue was that the contract froze the cost of health insurance.

This means that the workers will go from paying a percentage of their health care, which is subject to change, to a fixed dollar amount.

Also, Sodexho-Marriott agreed to a January review of the 40-hour work week, and other rights-on-the-job issues were discussed in the language of the contract.

With these concessions to the workers and the approval of the committee, it is anticipated by the negotiators that the workers will accept the contract.

Margo K. said, "The committee worked really hard, and they should be very proud. As a group they have moved forward."

Jon Small, manager for Sodexho-Marriott, said, "I'm pleased the bargaining committee accepted and endorsed our offer to employees.

Both sides made concessions, and they accepted the offer we put on the table." He expressed that both he and his employees were glad, and "it was a reason to celebrate for both sides."

Bistro worker Jane Seavalli was a member of the bargaining committee. She has been a part of the ongoing negotiations since June, and was an active participant of the rally earlier this month.

About the recent recommendation she says, "I am personally happy we came to an understanding. It was a long and hard process on both sides. It was a team effort, and we're all happy that it is over."

When asked about how the workers as a whole felt, she mentioned a general feeling of relief.

Also, "In the end, people seem to be happy about the work we did."

Concerning the role the Trinity community played in the negotiations, Margo K. said, "To the professors and students of Trinity I would like to thank all of them for their help, the workers appreciate it."

Committee-member and Cave worker Jose Villegas says that the vote on Thursday "will be the outcome of five or six months of negotiation."

With this new development in the negotiations between the union and Sodexho-Marriott, the vote at the meeting this Thursday has the potential to mark the end of the struggle that the food service workers have been working towards.