Firm's regard key in battle

Even as the chants to “Save Vel” fade from the forefront of campus, the arrest of the Carolina Dining Services employee remains a source of controversy.

Members of the UNC community have come forward with concerns regarding Aramark Corp., the company that has served as UNC’s food service provider since 2001.

Among other things, student activists claim that Aramark had Vel Dowdy arrested to discourage workers from forming a union.

It’s one of the few major conflicts between UNC and Aramark, said Mike Freeman, director of auxiliary services at UNC. Freeman pointed to the current debate and the controversial firing of dining services worker Lezlie Sumpter last year as the main sources of debate.

Aramark provides services for more than 400 schools across the country, and the type of incidents that occurred at UNC are rare elsewhere, said Kate Moran, Aramark communications manager.

Representatives from other schools using Aramark deferred comments to Moran.

“Our policy is to follow all guidelines, treat employees with dignity and respect,” she said. “We’ve got a great track record.”

About 34,700 of 178,000 Aramark employees are covered by collective-bargaining agreements, Moran said. This proportion — more than 19 percent — is above the 12.5 percent national average recorded in 2004 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But UNC is not the first university to confront unionization problems with Aramark.

In 1997, dining workers at The Citadel united to create an exclusive collective-bargaining union.

Aramark refused early attempts by the union to bargain. The National Labor Relations Board took up the case, in which the corporation was charged with unfair labor practices affecting commerce.

Moran would not comment on The Citadel’s situation, saying she did not know the details of what happened. She did reiterate that such incidents are rare.

“We’re proud to have a workplace that encourages open and honest discussion,” Moran said.

But the discussions Moran praised opened the door for intense student criticism after Dowdy’s March 25 arrest. She was charged with felony embezzlement of food at Lenoir Dining Hall and is scheduled to appear in Orange County District Court in Hillsborough on May 5.

Last week, in response to student demonstrations, Chancellor James Moeser said UNC’s counsel will meet with Aramark to review the circumstances of Dowdy’s arrest.

As part of that discussion, UNC will request that Aramark attend a subsequent meeting including student representatives.

Jonathan Pourzal, coordinator of Student Action with Workers, said he was not satisfied with the development, although he called it a step in the right direction. “The students deserve to be a part of this,” he said.

Pourzal said that student support is essential to the cause and that he is concerned about the timing of the controversy.

But Moran said accusations against the corporation are false.

“Vel Dowdy’s employment is not in any way related to her involvement with union activity,” she said. “I want to be clear that our policies comply with all federal and company policies and guidelines.”

Moran also repeatedly emphasized that Dowdy was not fired but rather placed on paid leave pending the result of her trial.

Student activists have been trying to get Aramark to sign a card-check neutrality agreement, which allows employees to collect signatures on an individual basis. This agreement, they say, would allow workers to decide for themselves whether they want to unionize.

Moran said Aramark prefers the federal election process approved by the National Labor Relations Board. The process allows employees to vote on unionizing in private.

“We feel that (a card-check neutrality agreement) subjects employees to peer pressure,” Moran said. “Employee free choice is best protected in secret ballot election.”

Moran said that in the end, the disparity came down to company preference. “What it comes down to is that we prefer that employees work directly with us,” she said. “But we recognize their right to work through a union.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.