Long-Time Cheyney Cafeteria Workers Back on the Job

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- When 30 long-time employees, who had been serving the students and staff in the cafeterias at Cheyney University, had to face the threat of losing their jobs because a new company had taken over the food service contract at Cheyney University, their Union took action.

The union reports today that the 27 members of the Philadelphia Joint Board, Workers United Local 274, who had been terminated by the new company have now returned to work.

On July 5, 2014, Thompson Hospitality Group took over the contract previously held by a Pennsylvania company, Metz & Associates. Metz had had the contract with Cheyney University since 2003 and had maintained a good working relationship with the 30 workers and their union. However, Thompson only retained three of the 30 long-term workers when they took over.

"We rarely have a problem with an incoming company hiring new employees who are local and need jobs" said Richard Minter of Local 274 of the Philadelphia Joint Board, Workers United. "But in this case, we thought it didn't make sense to send experienced workers to the unemployment lines, so we started a campaign for justice for the Cheyney workers."

"The Philadelphia Joint Board rallied to the cause of these workers, many of whom were facing serious financial challenges, in a big way," said Jack Rushton, the President of Local 274. "Our Union immediately started putting pressure on the leadership at Cheyney University, the nation's oldest African-American University, to make them aware of the effect the actions of Thompson Hospitality, a subsidiary of Compass Group USA, was having on the lives of these loyal, long-term Cheyney employees."  

Rushton reports that the Union's campaign for justice worked and that the 27 workers who were let go have been rehired by Thompson/Compass.

"These employees are now back to work doing what they do best, serving the students and staff of Cheyney University," said Rushton. "We are happy that Thompson/Compass recognized the value of the services our members deliver."

Lynne Fox, Manager of the Philadelphia Joint Board, said the union wanted to send a strong message that it was prepared to fight for the rights of its members with every means at its disposal.

"The Philadelphia Joint Board, Workers United pulled out all the stops to seek justice for these 27 long-term employees by asking Cheyney students, the local community, other unions and local elected officials at the county, state and federal levels, as well as members of the Board of Cheyney and Cheyney Alumni, to intervene on behalf of these employees. We were prepared to take our message to the public using everything from political pressure to social media to let people know that it doesn't matter if it is 30 people or 300 people, our Union will fight to protect their rights," said Fox. "We are pleased that Thompson Hospitality Group and its parent company, Compass Groups USA Inc., chose to negotiate a fair settlement instead of engaging in a protracted fight that would have hurt our members and damaged the reputation of the two companies and Cheyney University."

"I want to thank the leadership of Cheyney, Thompson/Compass, and the students at Cheyney for working with us to settle this dispute," she said. "I also want to thank our allies and friends in the local community, the unions in the region, and state and local community leaders who rallied to our cause. Most of all, I want to thank those 27 workers who stood strong and persevered until they achieved the justice they deserved."

The Philadelphia Joint Board, Workers United represents over 3,000 workers in food service, commercial laundries, apparel & textile manufacturing, airport workers and distribution workers in Philadelphia and surrounding counties and South Jersey to Atlantic City.

SOURCE Philadelphia Joint Board, Workers United