There are two major problems facing the Northeastern community. The first is that the subcontracted dining service workers from Chartwells are being intimidated, threatened and assaulted on our campus. This is nothing other than disturbing. The second issue is the reaction to the first problem – allowing an outside entity to influence the university’s response to these abhorrent violations against the workers. In other words, forming a union regardless of whether it is the right choice or if the university approves of it or not.
The two problems have serious consequences for the Northeastern community, which should not go overlooked. The problem of workers being intimidated must be stopped, and the remedy to this problem is not unionization, lest we welcome more difficulties at Northeastern in the years ahead.
This Monday, the Student Government Association (SGA) paved the way for Sense of the Senate 12-103, urging neutrality from the Northeastern administration regarding the worker’s ability to unionize to be voted on April 2. There are two items from this Sense of the Senate that must be focused on: The first deserves applause, the hidden second item needs to be adequately addressed and brought to light for what it is.
The Sense of the Senate’s author was correct in writing, “any intimidation or harassment of members of our campus community violate the ideals of respect and community we as Huskies value” – however, that is where the soundness of the document ends. The rest of the document attempts to force the university to abandon its rightful autonomy in decision-making on how its campus should be administered. While the document’s moral premise is correct, the effort to use this as an impenetrable shield protecting unionization is extremely immoral and simply forces a one-sided debate on all the items pertaining to its affects of the student body and the university.
SGA’s first responsibility is to represent its constituents’ interests. Unionization will drive up costs for thousands of students with already-overpriced meal plans, while receiving the same poor level of service. How many times have I been served by a worker who never smiles, does not know what they are serving, or takes considerable time to attend their station – not to mention moments where I have waited 15 minutes to receive a clean fork, only to eat a cold plate of food?
Forced unionization is not the answer, but neither is ignoring the problem. Allowing outside entities to influence the financial administration of our private institution is concerning for the independence of our university, as well as with the costs concerned, i.e. to the students and their families during a tough economy.
There are adequate policies within the university, the Commonwealth and at the federal level which protect workers in the workplace and ensure that managers treat their workers with respect and dignity. Why not set up a new administrative unit that oversees contracted companies and acts as a watchdog? Not only will this solve the immediate problem at hand, but will be more cost effective in the future as students and the university administration seek to find remedies that limit and control costs over the short and long-term periods.
Instead, a vocal minority of students on campus have sought to hold the university hostage, while proposing an overzealous remedy that would allow our private institution to lose independent administrative decision-making, permit costs to spiral further out of control, and burden the finances of thousands of decent, honest, and hardworking students and their families in a time of rough economic condition. The wretched treatment of Chartwell’s workers must stop, but I oppose the naïve reaction for them to unionize at the expense of the Husky population and administration.
– Andrew Melillo is president of the Northeastern University College Republicans and a senior political science and middle east studies major.
