Union takes action against Sodexo

A federal labor agency is investigating how Sodexo treats its workers at Pitt.

The… A federal labor agency is investigating how Sodexo treats its workers at Pitt.

The National Labor Relations Board began investigating Sodexo, the company that cooks the food in many of Pitt’s dining facilities, after the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ filed a complaint with the board March 23. The union represents some of the Sodexo employees who work in Market Central, The Perch at Sutherland and the William Pitt Union. It has attended several Sodexo workers’ protests on Pitt’s campus.

In its complaint, the SEIU states that Sodexo has allegedly engaged in “unfair labor practices” since about January. These practices include, “interrogating a worker about his union activity,” “telling workers that their efforts to organize with a union would be futile,” “threatening to more strictly enforce company rules if the union becomes the collective bargaining representative,” “threatening to eliminate certain workplace privileges if the union becomes the collective bargaining representative,” and “telling a worker that he is not allowed to attend a union meeting and threatening to discipline him for attending such meeting,” according to the complaint.

Pitt spokesman John Fedele declined to comment on the issue.

“This is a national issue between the union and Sodexo,” Fedele said. “We will not be commenting at this time.”

Sodexo has about 400 employees, according to the complaint.

Representatives from Sodexo did not respond to requests for comment last night.