Students will gather in the Pit today at 12:30 p.m. to deliver a petition to administrators and Aramark Corp. officials calling for the UNC food services provider to improve how it treats its employees.
The petition, which has been signed by more than 500 members of the UNC community, demands Aramark improve its working conditions and rehire former Rams Head Dining Hall cashier Angela Vargas.
Vargas, 38, was a popular Aramark employee, known to students as “Miss Angie.” Her December firing led to the creation of a Facebook group titled, “No, it’s NOT all good, bring Miss Angie back to Rams Head.”
According to her firing notice, Vargas was fired for “unacceptable personal conduct” after she arrived one hour late to work.
But Vargas and several students who have rallied for her cause claim that she was fired in retaliation for complaints she filed against Aramark managers.
The petition calls for Aramark to:
-Hold all managers to the same standards of courteous and efficient work as the workers
-Create accessible space for workers to meet with each other without University or Aramark oversight and intimidation
-Hold Aramark accountable to human rights standards such as a living wage, sick leave and no managerial harassment
-Rehire Angela Vargas and other wrongfully fired UNC Aramark workers
UNC senior Brad Green, the creator of the Facebook group, said the demands are reasonable. The group had 1,526 members as of Wednesday evening.
“The petition requests things we shouldn’t have to ask for,” Green said.
Rakhee Devasthali, a member of Student Action with Workers, said she hopes the event will make the administration recognize that UNC is responsible for its employees.
Scott Myers, director of food and vending at UNC, said the event will prompt more thought on the issue of working conditions at UNC.
“Everybody involved needs to be extra introspective,” said Myers, who added that Aramark makes personnel decisions independent of the University.
Bill Cunningham, director of Aramark operations at UNC, was not available for comment.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
