Cafeteria workers win at Hunter College

Cafeteria workers at Hunter College in New York City won a contract with AVI Foodsystems Inc. on Oct. 23 that includes free family health benefits. Payments will be made for June, July and August, the period when AVI stopped paying because they wanted the workers to pick up the cost.

The contract was approved unanimously by the leadership committee of the workers who represent their co-workers at the negotiations. A ratification vote is scheduled for Oct. 30.

Besides free health care, the workers will get a $500 lump sum payment this year, a 43-cents-per-hour raise next year, and a 43-cents-per-hour raise the following year. Pension payments will be made to UNITE HERE’s 401(k), rather than the company’s plan.

Student support groups; the Professional Staff Congress, American Federation of Teachers Local 2334—the union which represents the faculty and staff at Hunter; and progressive community groups organized a very powerful rally in support of the AVI workers on Oct. 5.

Based on the strength of this rally, the PSC and the student support groups organized a boycott campaign.

Ian Mikusko of UNITE HERE said in a letter to the PSC chapter at Hunter: “The build-up to the boycott seemed to have a huge influence on the company’s eagerness to settle. When we showed them the boycott pledge sheets (with over 1,000 signatures—probably well over) several members of the AVI negotiating team got visibly rattled. ... In my opinion, the threat of an impending boycott was a huge factor in winning a good contract today. “

He ended his letter with, “It was awesome to see how much support the workers had from the Hunter College and CUNY community.”

In related news, the AVI workers at Sarah Lawrence College won a card-check neutrality agreement Oct. 23.

Easton Smith, a student at Sarah Lawrence active in the movement to support the AVI workers, told Workers World: “AVI workers at Sarah Lawrence will get inspiration and a target to aim for from the settlement at Hunter. I know the Hunter AVI workers intend to concretely express their solidarity with the AVI workers at Sarah Lawrence.” He continued, “Our message has to be: If AVI doesn’t budge, boycott.”