Emory Students get arrested over peacful protest against Sodexo

The Emory 7:
Joe Diaz,
Amariah Love,
Roger Sikes,
Andrea Nichols,
Chris Wells,
Laura Emiko Soltis, and
Mike Iannacone

Getting arrested over a peaceful protest to kick Sodexo off the campus for it's global human rights abuses and unfair labor tactics on-campus.


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Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Emory Students
• Emory
• rally

[georjajim]

@dawnderer26: Ummm...they are required by contract to pay $10.75 per hour to their workers on Emory campus. That is a fact.

[Matroilyx]

@georjajim Hahah. I've actually had conversations with employees who are getting paid less than that... And while we want to publish their pay stubs, they are afraid of getting fired... which Sodexo has done when others have stood out of line, or wanted to unionize, and gotten fired for trumped up reasons.

[jonathanosim]

I don't why people are protesting the administration rather than the state government in Georgia. There will always be another company like sudexo that gives its employees the bare minimum.

[Matroilyx]

@jonathanosim Sodexo is know for it's international human rights abuses. Georgia can't do anything about that. Furthermore the New York Attorney General found that Sodexo was stealing millions from New York Schools and violating their contracts. Upon further examination, The New York Attorney General said that these practices are normal for business practices for Sodexo.

[kmfulto]

stop martyring yourselves and go through the correct channels to engage in your discussion. also, i understand that if sodexo employees protest they will be fired, but if none of them are joining the students, what does that tell you? that they prefer their current job to no job at all.

[Matroilyx]

@kmfulto Sodexo employees have joined the cause. Many Sodexo employees stopped by the camp and spent time there (though they have families to go home to at the end of the day).

What would you suggest the "correct channels" are? Students and Workers in Solidarity have held a session where Sodexo from both on-campus and around the world came and spoke to students about their working conditions. SWS has also met with the administration 10 times before it came to this to discuss the issues.

[passionfire16]

Love you all. Rog, Emiko, Andrea, Chris, Joe, Amariah, and Mike

-Torie

[kmfulto]

sodexo isn't going to do anything about this until they feel direct impact, i.e. through losing (lots of) employees. even as an emory student, this seems to me like a bunch of rich kids taking up a random cause. this is not the way to go about fighting against the company or emory's relations with the company. the students need to provide an alternative to sodexo and do something more productive than posting up on the quad.

[blazak]

In 1985 we built a shantytown on the Quad to protest Emory's Coca-Cola connection (Coke propped up South African apartheid to the bitter end). Glad to see the spirit still lives (although most Emory students in those days were busy with date rape on Frat Row. Sure that's changed, right?)

[gabeshivers]

From what I remember, Jwags, (Emory President James Wagner) gave you plenty of chances to not be arrested and listen to your side; even inviting several protesters into his office at one point. I'm not saying your points aren't valid - but beating a drum and chanting in the middle of campus obstructing other university employees from doing their job (setting up for graduation) just makes you look ridiculous.

[howdthathappen190]

@kmfulto Sodexo feels direct impact when they lose million dollar contracts with universities. Hence the protest and the leverage that students have.

[FloRiteEnt]

Very good job. This was a peaceful demonstration of 7 students taking a stand against an injustice. No matter what anybody says they grabbed not only Emory's attention, but i guarantee Sodexo will feel the pressure in the upcoming weeks from people just like these incredible 7 students who are not afraid to stand out and use their freedoms to fight against the worlds corruption. Heres something to chew on" You can be the shepard, or the sheep".

[dawnderer26]

@KundrNik The people who work for Sodexo at Emory have made it clear to other people what their struggles are. Your friends have not informed you about this but their co-workers have made their needs known to other people.

Since you don't seem to be concerned about working conditions and treatment but only the manner in which students who support these workers protest, just keep moving. Like I said, the work will continue.

[KundrNik]

@Matroilyx I think presenting this information to the administration is what needs to be done if these individuals are not being paid according to contract.

[KundrNik]

@dawnderer26 at a Q&A session. Additionally, I have about 8 very good friends who work at the DUC (none at Cox, however), and this is not a feeling that any of them have expressed to me. Therefore, I think it's wise to ensure that no blanket statements are made, and I apologize if I made any myself. I think both Emory and the students acted too quickly and dramatically. And I think both sides don't see each others' views.