House food service workers, with support from Democratic lawmakers, called for a boycott of some Capitol complex restaurants Thursday — demanding that incoming dining subcontractors maintain the previous union-negotiated base pay and benefits.
Congressional Labor Caucus co-chairs Reps. Steven Hordford (D-Nev.), Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) joined food service employees in front of the Capitol building after final votes Thursday to protest the new vendors’ delay in recognizing the Unite Here Local 23 bargaining unit’s existing agreement.
Union members are asking lawmakers, staff and Capitol visitors to boycott six of the new venues: Starbucks, Pakistani food restaurant CHA Street Food, Jimmy John’s, Panera, Java House and PX Tacos.
“We have 124 members in our labor caucus. That means, along with the rest of the Democrats, half the people will not be buying Starbucks coffee,” Dingell told reporters at the boycott announcement.
The House of Representatives is ending its contract with food service company Sodexo, which employed close to 200 workers, in favor of new vendors to take over in the coming months.
More than 100 Democratic lawmakers signed a letter last week calling for the subcontractors to rehire employees at the in-Capitol outlets where they previously worked and keep the previous union contract’s minimum $22.15 hourly wage, health care and retirement benefits.
“Many of us know these workers directly and have cherished our interactions with them over the years,” the letter reads. “It is critical that you retain these workers to avoid any disruption to their livelihoods and to preserve their institutional knowledge and established relationships with Members of Congress and their staff.”
Employees have only received return offers from one of the seven contractors so far — Metz, which is running the cafeterias, according to a statement from Unite Here.
“My coworkers and I have struggled over the years to make this the kind of job we can raise our families on,” union steward and long-time Capitol dining employee Rickie Toon said at Thursday’s event. “We call on everyone who cares about the dignity of labor to honor this boycott.”
The union-organized boycott begins immediately, though the House is out of session for August recess starting this afternoon.
