This campaign asks that the employment of contracted food service and cleaning workers who provide vital services to SFU’s three campuses be brought in house. Food service workers are currently employed by Compass-Chartwells and have a collective agreement with UNITE HERE! Local 40, while the cleaners are employed by Best Service Pros Ltd. and have a contract with Unit 4 of CUPE 3338.
The outsourcing of food and cleaning services puts downward pressure on terms and conditions of employment because contractor success in obtaining contracts depends on submitting the lowest bid. This system also limits job security and excludes workers from services available to others in the university, such as library access, parking, childcare, and subsidized tuition. The result is a low wage, insecure, precarious workforce which could not be more different demographically than the university’s highest-paid employees. Cleaners and food service workers on campus are primarily women, people of colour, and immigrants. They have suffered layoffs and intensified precarity as a result of the pandemic.
Both UBC and UVic operate the cleaning and food services in-house and the workers are their employees. Food and cleaning services workers at those universities are better paid, have more generous vacation time, parental leave, and access to university services.
These workers are an essential part of our community. As a community, we can and must do better by these workers. It is time to bring food and cleaning service workers in-house.
Thank you for your support for this important initiative.
Contract Worker Justice @SFU
You can see the full letter here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jATW5kAs43PQVhJiUk3cYRbslHkLjA--JZwNQ_z658Y/edit?usp=sharingIf you'd like to sign onto the letter, please fill out your information below. Your contact information will be kept confidential. If you would like to join the campaign, please let us know!
