A previous version of this article misspelled the name of The New School’s Vice President for Labor Relations. The correct spelling is Keila Tennent-DeCoteau.
Cafeteria workers are organizing against the university’s move to break ties with its food service provider and not hire back the majority of them, putting the workers’ careers at the food service company in peril.
Come July 1, The New School will no longer work with Chartwells/Compass USA in a move that will result in the layoffs of current cafeteria workers.
The UNITE HERE! Local 100 Union, which represents current New School cafeteria workers and other Chartwells employees, has been distributing posters around campus featuring cafeteria employees with quotes describing ways the change could impact them.
“If this goes down, I lose everything, basically. Pension, health insurance. I can’t pay my bills with no job. I would have to start all over again with nothing,” said Rodrick Prude, a 54-year-old cafeteria worked who also goes by the name Prince.
Current employees said university administrators have not updated them regarding their future employment. In a letter sent from to UNITE HERE! Local 100, Vice President for Labor Relations Keila Tennent-DeCoteau laid out the university’s expectations for new hires.
“The New School does not expect a majority of the workforce in the newly-configured dining services department to be staffed by former Local 100 employees, The New School will be under no obligation to bargain with Local 100,” Tennent-DeCoteau wrote.
The New School has worked with Chartwells since 2002, said Amy Malsin, a spokeswoman for the university.
“We haven’t heard anything from the administration of New School about our jobs,” said Johntex Segura, a 37-year-old who has worked for The New School for close to a decade.
Though university’s contract with Chartwells will end July 1, the workers will be out of work in May, according to Michael Brown, a 56-year-old cook at The New School. Cafeteria workers at the university typically see their hours reduced significantly during the summer.
“We pretty much won’t have a job. And we won’t know if they’re going to be hiring us back or if there are gonna be new people coming in. We just don’t know, and they’re not telling us anything,” Brown said.
As of April 21, job listings had been posted on The New School careers site for Senior Cook, Cook, Food Service Worker and Food Service Manager. The availability of these positions is listed as May 1.
Any new cafeteria staff will be hired directly through the university. Cafeteria workers directly employed by the university will not be union members.
“The University is not a successor to Chartwells with regard to the [UNITE HERE!] Local 100 contract and has no obligations under that contract,” Tennent-DeCoteau wrote.
Workers who are covered by the UNITE HERE! Local 100 Union said Chartwells could move them into other jobs elsewhere in the company, but that the change could be debilitating. If jobs are found at other facilities, they are not guaranteed to include the full benefits and pay that workers currently enjoy.
Representatives for the union did not respond to questions regarding if Chartwells is required to relocate employees.
Segura currently makes more than $16 per hour, but said if he was relocated, he could start at minimum wage between $12 and $13 in New York State, he said.
“I’m the head of my house. I’m supporting my whole entire family. And getting paid $10 or less? I can’t even pay rent or anything like that,” Segura said.
Stephen Stabile, vice president for finance and business and treasurer, said current employees were encouraged to apply for the new positions. When asked if current cafeteria workers would receive preference in the application process Stabile said, “I wouldn’t say preference, no, but they’ve all been spoken to and encouraged to apply for jobs.”
Administrators expect to employ approximately the same amount of employees, according to Ed Verdi, senior director of business operations for the university.
Some of the new positions will require additional skill sets, including increased data processing and inventory tracking capabilities, which Stabile and Verdi said are meant to help reduce food waste and better reflect student requests.
The move has sparked outrage among students.
In addition to the flyers handed out by UNITE HERE! Local 100, first year Lang student Sam Accord made posters that state the salaries of New School administrators and urge people to get involved.
The union also made a petition on its website for people to show their support of the workers.
On a poster hung in the cafeteria, students had written additional comments. “Newschool doesn’t care about POCs [People of Color]” and “Thank you New School Caf. Workers! We stand with you!”
“I just feel like [the layoffs are] unethical and if you really go down and talk to the people themselves, you sort of realize what’s at stake,” Accord said. “The New School, as a corporation, has kept themselves very distant from the people themselves.”
“These people were crying over their jobs last night. It was just awful. And I don’t think The New School is handling it well,” Accord said.
“We [are] just trying to fight to have a job, [to] support our family, that’s why everybody is here for, and that what I’m fighting for. I’m not just fighting for myself, but every employee in here.” Segura said.
Photo by Orlando Mendiola