Public Employee Press

Sodexo workers unanimous for DC 37

Sodexo employees who distribute linens at Health and Hospitals Corp. facilities voted unanimously March 31 to be represented by DC 37.

"This landslide victory sends Sodexo and HHC a clear message that privatized work that was once performed by DC 37 members will continue to be represented by our union," said DC 37 Organizing Director Mario Rodriguez. The National Labor Relations Board tallied election results for Sodexo's 78 linen distribution workers.

The union's organizing campaign began quickly in September 2011, a month after HHC contracted out its laundry services in a nine-year deal with the Yonkers branch of Sodexo, a multinational conglomerate based in Paris, shuttered the dilapidated Brooklyn Central Laundry and redeployed the Local 420 members to other positions in the public hospital system.

"This victory came after a hard-fought campaign," said Rodriguez, who thanked DC37 Organizers Ramon Marrero, Anna Nowlan and Nicole Laing, Local 420 President Carmen Charles, Hospitals Division Director Audrey McConney, Assistant Director Tyler Hemingway and other DC 37 staff for their dedication to the organizing drive.

"The city should not privatize public services," McConney said, "but as we've shown here, this union is ready to 'follow the work' and organize the private contractors' employees."

DC37's parent union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, determined that Local 154, which already has members in the private sector, will represent the Sodexo employees. Linen Distribution Workers push large bins loaded with clean laundry and clear soiled linens from chutes, moving over a million pounds of laundry each year throughout the HHC's labyrinth of heath care facilities citywide. It is intense physical labor.

Bellevue Linen Distribution Worker Sandra Gilchrist said, "With a union I have more job security, I know someone is on my side to negotiate wage increases, and that makes a big difference."

A bigger voice

Some of the workplace issues DC 37 will tackle to bring Sodexo employees on par with unionized HHC workers are salary increases, sick and annual leave and benefits. Sodexo pays its HHC laundry employees $15 an hour with limited benefits that the workers pay for. The workers get no sick time and accrue five vacation days annually. If they use either without advance notice to managers, or if they get sick on the job, they incur an infraction; seven infractions and they are fired.

"Now we have a bigger voice along with job security and real benefits," said Bellevue Linen Distribution Worker Darryl Woods. "Now management cannot make us do anything they want."

"It won't all change overnight, but the union will fight for members every step of the way," Marrero said.