As food service workers on campus push to unionize in order to fight for their rights, Butler University students joined together to show ARAMARK employees they support the movement.
Students held a rally at Star Fountain Wednesday where workers, student organizations and individuals came to commit support to the workers and their goals.
Sophomore Lea Levy spoke at the rally and said many students she has spoken to had no idea about the workers’ struggles before this event.
“It’s horrible that workers are getting treated this terribly right under our noses,” Levy said “I started going to workers’ houses and talking to them about their personal stories. I heard about how they couldn’t afford their healthcare and didn’t get unemployment this past summer. These are people I really connect with and it’s happening to them right here.”
Various student organizations came to announce their support of the movement, including Demia, the Black Student Union and Dawgs for a Cause.
The goal of the rally was to raise awareness. Stutdents hope the process of unionizing would be easier for workers with student support, junior Colleen Quilty, said.
Quilty helped lead a similar movement last year after seeing hotel workers in downtown Indianapolis unionize in a similar way.
“The men and women that are here are not just here for four years. Some have been here for twenty years, some for thirty years,” Quilty said. “They are the foundation of the university. To be a healthy university and to stand for The Butler Way, we have to start at the foundation. We need to make sure the workers are included in The Butler Way, and this is the way to do it.”
Craig Auchter, associate professor of political science, said he spoke at the rally to voice support for what he believes in.
“It’s really great to have this thing happening here with students, union organizers, workers, faculty and staff,” Auchter said to the crowd. “We support this and want to see it happen. We want this to be the beginning of some really new things happening on our campus, in our city, in our country,and in our world. We’re going to be part of that change and we’re going to make it happen.”
Today is “button day,” where the workers will wear buttons and students who choose to will wear stickers to show ARAMARK the momentum behind the workers’ push to unionize.
