Hundreds Of Workers On Northwestern Campuses Authorize Strike

EVANSTON, IL — Hundreds of subcontracted hospitality workers at Northwestern University's Evanston and Chicago campuses voted Wednesday to authorize a strike.

The cooks, dishwashers, housekeepers and other hospitality workers are employed by Compass Group, with which Northwestern contracted to provide undergraduate dining and various other services at its business school and on its Chicago campus.

Union representatives declined to say how many people participated in the vote, but said 95 percent of them voted in favor of a strike Wednesday at the Unitarian Church in Evanston.

The 364-person bargaining unit is represented by the union Unite Here and has been without a contract since 2019, a year after Compass took over the university's dining program. The workers may now strike at any time.

“We put our lives on the line working for Compass and serving the students and faculty at Northwestern University throughout the pandemic and yet Compass cannot even offer us a wage increase that is enough to support our families,” said Veronica Reyes, a cashier at Foster Walker Complex, in a statement after the vote. "[Compass] hasn’t even been paying for health insurance for all its full-time workers. Can you imagine losing your healthcare in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis?”

Compass Group USA is a North Carolina-based subsidiary of the international food services company Compass Group PLC, which reported nearly $28 billion in revenue and about $770 million in underlying operating profit last year amid the pandemic.

The company laid off 230 workers at Northwestern last summer ahead of the 2020-21 school year, but began hiring them back as the university reopened its dining halls during its winter quarter, according to past reports.

The strike vote came four weeks after Compass Group made what it called its "last, best offer" to Unite Here Local 1. The 85-page proposal includes immediate raises of $2 an hour and a 60 percent increase to retirement contribution.

By the end of the contract, the average starting wage for workers would be more than $18 per hour, according to the company. The company also promised $500 bonuses for all workers if the union ratified the agreement by Sept. 1.

“We honor our employees’ right to bargain collectively and respect the collective bargaining process. Over the past two and a half years of bargaining, we have met with the Union 22 times and have offered to meet at least 70 other dates to try to reach an agreement," Jennifer Byrdsong, Compass’ vice president of dining operations, said in a statement Aug. 27. "We are hopeful that the union is ready to put this offer to a vote so our associates can start the school year with significant wage increases."

That deadline expired without the union presenting the offer to its members for a vote.

At the time, a union spokesperson told Evanston Now the proposal would have taken away benefits and other protections, calling it "about as well thought-out as their Sept. 1 deadline."

The average annual earnings for Compass employees at Northwestern was less than $28,000, according to a report produced by the union. Meanwhile, non-subcontracted custodial employees who work for Northwestern directly and are represented by the Service Employees International Union make between $40,000 and $52,000 a year, earning up to $22 per hour after six months on the job.

“It is so hard to live on such low pay. Me and my husband have worked at Northwestern for various food service companies for more than nine years," Marina Rico, a grill cook at Allison Hall, said in the report. "We still live paycheck to paycheck. The beginning of the month is especially hard. After paying our rent, we are never sure if we will have the money to put enough food on the table for our family of four.”

According to the union, 19 percent of Compass Group workers at Northwestern have tested positive for COVID-19, and 31 percent have had members of their household test positive. As of February, it said Compass did not pay for health insurance for 75 out of 260 of its workers.

“I was shocked when I found out that Compass was not paying for my healthcare," Salah Bouacha, a conference service attendant at the Kellogg School of Business, said in the report. "I was having heart pain, and planned to go to the hospital, but I didn’t go because my health insurance was cut off. Thank God I am ok.”

Meredith Rosenberg, Compass' vice president of communications and creative services, told Patch in an email that the company remained committed to providing quality food service to Northwestern.

"We continue to offer to meet with the union so that we can negotiate in good faith. We remain hopeful that the union will devote its resources to reaching a new agreement soon," Rosenberg said.

"The wages and benefits Compass currently pays to associates were negotiated and approved by Local 1 in the collective bargaining agreement, and Compass cannot deviate from the compensation requirements until a new agreement is reached," she added. "It’s important to note Compass pays the entire healthcare premium for single coverage for all full-time associates based on the agreement."

Northwestern spokesperson Jon Yates told Patch in an email that university officials hope the matter is resolved quickly.

"On the strike vote, the associates represented by the union are vital members of the Northwestern community, and Compass is a great partner to the University," Yates said. "We understand the importance of the ongoing contract negotiations between the union representing the food service workers and their employer, Compass. We hope for a swift and equitable resolution to these negotiations."

UPDATE: Strike Threat Nets Northwestern Workers Bigger Raises, Health Insurance