Courtesy of Kevin Lieue
In December of 2023, Connecticut College Dining workers began a campaign to unionize with Local 217 Unite Here, Connecticut’s hospitality workers union, citing concerns with low pay, overworking, expensive insurance, and low job security as conversations on outsourcing heightened at the end of the semester. After a petition demanding Interim President Leslie Wong to recognize the union gained over a thousand signatures, dining staff and union organizers held a rally on campus attended by hundreds of Conn students, staff, and community members. In January, Dining Services workers voted nearly unanimously to unionize.
At the same time, an email from the Conn Human Resources Office expressed that while receiving proposals to outsource dining services, the College made it clear to prospective food service companies that they should rehire all current dining employees with acknowledgment of their years of service at the College. Another email on April 11 from Dean of Students Victor Arcelus and Interim Vice President for Dining Reginald White responded to concerns about rehiring by stating, “it has always been the College’s priority that if we chose to outsource dining that the partner would offer positions to our staff,” and clarified directly, “Chartwells will offer our current Dining staff positions with their company.” During the Student Government Association Open Forum on May 2, representatives from Chartwells discussed renovations, menu changes, and student concerns, especially about their commitment to rehiring current dining workers. Though they upheld their commitment to rehiring current staff, they clarified the caveat that all current staff would be subject to an additional company-specific background check.
On June 13, the Local 217 Instagram page posted an announcement: at the end of May, two Dining services workers, Andre Patterson and Dontay Watts, were notified by Chartwells that they would not be rehired due to issues with their background checks. Patterson, who has worked at the College for two years, and Watts, who has worked at the College for over a year, both without incident, were the only two of their coworkers to not be immediately rehired by Chartwells. This Instagram post circulated quickly within the Conn community.
In a statement to Local 217, Patterson said: “If I lose this job, I’ll lose everything. I won’t be able to pay my rent and I’ll lose my apartment. I also don’t have transportation, so I need to work somewhere close to where I live. The job means so much to me. I love working with the students and putting smiles on their faces. I don’t deserve to lose everything because of one mistake. Chartwells, don’t shut me out of a good job!”
Watts also commented to Local 217: “I just found out I’m expecting my first child. I have no idea how I’m going to raise her without this job. She deserves a stable, bright future, and so do I. I love this job, from my coworkers to serving the students and professors great food. I love our community and I want to keep being a part of it. Chartwells: don’t cut me and my growing family out of a good future because of one mistake in my past.”
Another petition, titled “Chartwells! Don’t Shut Black Workers Out of Good Jobs!” accompanied the announcement post, demanding that Chartwells accept both of their appeals to be rehired, has collected over 900 signatures and been shared across social media, alongside an outpouring of support and words of encouragement and anger from students. One anonymous student on Yik Yak, a student social media app, defended Patterson by declaring that “Chartwells has no leverage to fire someone who makes the school a better place.” Dozens of other students across platforms added their own testimonies and stories from around campus and in Oasis, where both Patterson and Watts have formed positive connections and friendships with the student body.
Organizers with Local 217 scheduled a hybrid rally, both outside of Harris Dining Hall and on Zoom, as a way for on and off campus students and staff to show support for the rehiring campaign. On July 17, the day before the rally, they announced on Instagram that while Patterson’s appeal to Chartwells was accepted, and he had been rehired, Watts’ appeal had been denied. Less than 24 hours later, after another wave of support, testimonies, and outrage from students and the Conn community, Chartwells reversed its decision, and Watts was rehired as well.
Negotiations between Local 217 and Chartwells will continue during the transition to the beginning of the academic year and as dining staff navigate the series of changes and renovations to campus dining spaces.
Henry Schmitt, an organizer with Local 217, says: “It was so moving to see the community come together to support these workers. I’m glad Chartwells did the right thing and rehired them. We look forward to continuing our negotiations for a great first contract.”
