Contract Workers Win Fight to Become UC Davis Employees

April 28, 2008

DEMANDING RESPECT – Members of Local 3299 and their supporters rally in San Francisco in April. Shown (left to right) are Esther Juarez, a Sodexho cook at UC Davis; Cecilia Argana, a patient care assistant at UC San Francisco; the Rev. Eric Gabourel, pastor of Providence Christian Center; and Margaret Mann, a laboratory technician at UC San Francisco Medical Center.

Photo Credit: Rev. Israel Alvaran, CLUE-California

Nearly 200 contracted-out food service workers at the University of California at Davis have won their lengthy battle to become full-time UC employees.

The victory, announced April 18, means that workers will transition from their current employment with Sodexho Inc. to become direct UC Davis employees – and automatically join AFSCME Local 3299 – no later than April 2009. The local represents some 20,000 service and patient care workers throughout UC’s 10 campuses and five medical centers.

Workers at UC Davis are anxious to see the changes that a union contract will bring. Lidia Uribe, a cook at Segundo Dining Commons, says:

“We are very excited. But we cannot wait for these changes. Every day, we face intimidation and racism at work. We need a voice and protection today.”

Local 3299 Pres. LaKesha Harrison told The California Aggie:

“It’s going to be great for the workers when they see the changes that happen when they become a UC employee, and I hope we can get it done as soon as possible.”

Demonstrations by students, workers and members of Local 3299 persuaded UC Davis administrators that their outdated employment policy could no longer be justified. The campus is the last in the system that continues to outsource dining services.

To learn more, check out this story in The Sacramento Business Journal. Also, thanks goes to Doug Paul Davis of The People’s Vanguard of Davis for his blog post on this issue.