Manhattan College dining dispute has been resolved

A dispute between Manhattan College’s new dining service, Gourmet Dining, and former dining hall workers employed by Sodexo was resolved on March 6.

In the settlement, longtime employees of Sodexo — who were replaced when Gourmet Dining took over as the food service company at Manhattan College — were reinstated and the incumbent union representing them, Unite Here, was recognized, according to Nancy Cleeland of the National Labor Relations Board. 

Filed with the NLRB on Sept. 7, a charge lodged by Unite Here alleged that when Gourmet Dining took over in May 2011 the operator discriminated against Sodexo employees because of their affiliation with Unite Here, a union that represents food service and restaurant workers. 

Former employees, students and faculty rallied across the street from Manhattan College on behalf of Unite Here at the beginning of the school year, demanding that Gourmet Dining rehire about 65 of the union’s workers, some of who had served the MC community for nearly 40 years.