Workers rally for health care

By Nicole LaPrade

Nearly 60 students, facilities workers and other union members met Friday afternoon to show their support for the Bon Appetit workers, who are currently negotiating health care benefits with the Bon Appetit Management Company.

Students and union members held signs that read "Bon Appetit workers ready to boycott" and "Bon Appetit workers ready to strike for a fair contract." The Santa Clara Community Action Program and the Service Employees International Union Local 715 sponsored the rally and cheers were led by Santa Clara Community Action Program members Stephanie Camoroda and Joshua Crasson.

"Bon Appetit do what's right or we will stand up and fight," the crowd chanted.

Bon Appetit workers, who are members of the union SEIU 715, have been in ongoing contract negotiations since July but three attempts to come to an agreement have failed.

The union is looking to gain better health coverage for employees and their families and to get the Cesar Chávez holiday as a floating holiday, meaning that workers would be able to observe it on any day they choose.

SEIU Worksite Organizer Leah Berlanga said under the previous contract, Bon Appetit workers had full health coverage and Bon Appetit paid $250 towards the health coverage of one family member.

According to Berlanga, in many cases, employees were dropped from the health plan, so Bon Appetit only paid $250 to cover the family member, leaving the worker to pay for their own insurance.

Sophomore Rosa King spoke at the rally about California Proposition 72, on the ballot this year. The bill will require businesses to provide health care for their employees and their families. Opponents argue that if the proposition is passed, small businesses will suffer from rising health care costs.

Prop. 72 would resolve the contract issue regarding health care, Berlanga said.

According to her, the Bon Appetit workers have no desire to strike, but they will if necessary.

If there is a strike, Santa Clara facilities workers, who belong to the same union, as well as union members from around Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties will show their support for Bon Appetit workers and not cross picket lines.

Berlanga told the rallying crowd that Bon Appetit management already has close to 40 backup workers ready in the case of a strike. The crowd booed in response.

Bon Appetit is making preparations for the strike in order to meet its obligation to provide dining services to Santa Clara, said Maisie Ganzler, director of communications and strategic initiative.

She did say that there would be three meals a day available and that Market Square and Mission Bakery would remain open, but was unsure if there would be any change in hours of operation or if the other venues such as Jump Start would remain open.

During Friday's negotiations, both sides presented another contract proposal and decided to cease negotiations and to have a "cooling off" period until Nov. 5, during which time they would present the offers to their sides.

Negotiations are currently in federal mediation.

According to Berlanga, in the latest proposal Bon Appetit offered to provide full health coverage for the employees. In addition, they offered to pay $50 toward the coverage of one family member or $100 toward the coverage of the entire family, leaving the employee and their family to pay the rest.

Berlanga said that she would like to see this reversed and have Bon Appetit workers pay $50 to add one family member to their plan and $100 to add their family and have the company pay the remainder.

Health care is very expensive for the workers, Berlanga said. The average Bon Appetit worker makes $9.50 per hour and an average of $1600 per month.

Ganzler did not wish to comment on the state of negotiations because nothing has been agreed upon, and it is the company policy not to discuss them until an agreement has been reached.

But Ganzler did want to assure students that Bon Appetit does care about its workers and wants the negotiations to end positively for all. They also want to be available to the students that they serve.

Last February, students and employees of the facilities department held a similar rally for ongoing contract negotiations between Santa Clara administration and the SEIU union, which also represents facilities employees.

* ààContact Nicole LaPrade at (408) 554-4546 or nlaprade@scu.edu.