Administrators and students are preparing for a possible strike by food workers at Humber Polytechnic,
And what could become one of the latest in a growing wave of job action across the Canadian server sector, Unifor Local 414 members who are employed by Chartwell are set to strike as early as Nov. 21 at 12:01 a.m.
Chartwell is the contracted food server at Humber, including its residences. And as the negotiations continue, the concern is that a work stoppage can affect thousands of students who rely on the on-campus food services.
UNIFOR Local 414 president Gord Currie said in a statement that Compass Group's financial success contrasts the low wages for the frontline staff.
“It is outrageous that our members make only 15 cents above minimum wage while Compass Group brings in billions,” he said.
Paul Iskander, a Humber residence manager, said he has been putting a plan in place in case the strike does happen and there is no longer access to food services available to student residents and students coming on campus for classes.
“We have a contingency plan in place. The residence is 100 per cent open 24/7 for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Iskander said.
At North campus, he said Humber plans to open alternative food options that are not run by Chartwell, which include Gourmet Express, the Humber Room, Ackee Tree, Cocoa Bubble Tea and the Hot Dog Guy.
He said Chartwell could bring in outside workers if needed.
“They are bringing support from other units as they come in, as we open up more stuff,” Iskander said.
If it's demanded, Iskander said the Humber would be opened to bringing food trucks on campus.
At the Lakeshore campus, he said they might face fewer challenges than the North campus because of the large number of restaurants in the area around campus.
“The whole of Lakeshore is full of outlets,” he said. “It’s much easier because you have a lot of places across the street.”
Iskander said students have turned to delivery apps or shop at places like Fortinos and Walmart.
“Students will find a way of eating lots of stuff coming in from Walmart, bags and bags,” Iskander said.
As of now, no agreement has been reached with food services workers at Humber. The deadline is Friday at 12:01 a.m., when workers will be in a legal position to strike and could form picket lines at the polytechnic.
“They are still talking at the table, which is a good thing,” Iskander said. He said the hope is that the strike doesn’t happen or that it doesn’t last too long. Because many of the service workers are part-time. And a prolonged strike could really hit them hard, Iskander said.
“Once they leave, they don’t get a paycheck anymore. And they lose their benefits,” Iskander said.
Even though the union provides some financial support to the strike members, it’s not 100 percent of what they would make if they were working.
Unifor national president Lana Payne said in a media release the workers are asking for fairness.
“We stand firmly behind our members working to build better job standards,” she said. “Our members deserve decent working conditions and a fair wage.”
Compass Group president Kevin Booth deferred questions to the company's communication unit, which did not respond to requrest for comment.
Unifor is going to continue to bargain, but they will note workers voted to strike if necessary in September. The union said workers are concerned about the rising cost of living in Canada.
Workers are struggling to get by with the cost of living in Canada and it adds mental and physical pressure to these workers, so they can make ends meet. to support their families.
Students and staff should be prepared for reduced open times and long lines due to staff shortages.
