Football fans were not the only ones sporting their teams’ colors Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
Protesting what they said are unfair labor practices at Sodexo Inc., 16 stadium concession employees, dressed in purple labor-union attire, refused to work during the game against Indiana.
Dozens of supporters joined the workers, who said Sodexo stifles their attempts to unionize and pays them so little they cannot afford basic necessities.
Alfred King, spokesman for Sodexo USA, a subsidiary of the France-based company that has provided Ohio State concession services since 1989, said such cases are rare.
The labor union “has exaggerated the complaints of a small minority of workers,” he said in an e-mail. “Sodexo provides competitive wages, and our benefits eligibility for front-line employees is the most liberal in our industry.”
Laurie Couch, spokeswoman for Service Employees International Union, said if Sodexo does not begin to respect its workers’ rights, “the workers are not going to back down.”
“They make as little as $7.50 an hour,” she said. “Most of them have no access to health care, and many of them qualify for food stamps and welfare, even though many of them work as many as 60 to 70 hours per week.”
The protesters marched to the Horseshoe from their “base camp” in the parking lot by the intersection of John H. Herrick Drive and Olentangy River Road at 10:20 a.m., as football fans were arriving for the game. About 70 protesters returned at 2:30 p.m. for a second rally when people left the stadium.
Members of Service Employees International Union and OSU United Students Against Sweatshops joined the Sodexo workers in the protest, hoisting signs that read, “We Sell Millions But Make Pennies,” and others accusing Sodexo of having unfair labor practices.
Many passersby booed or jeered the protesters as they circled the stadium chanting, “O-H-I-O clean up Sodexo” while shaking makeshift rattles and pounding bass drums.
King said 16 employees out of the 112 scheduled to work that day did not show up at work.
“We were able to continue our operations as normal,” King said. “We always have contingency plans in place for anything that might impact our business.”
Most concession-stand managers refused to comment, but one said he was not prepared for a strike. There was no noticeable delay in the food services during the game.
OSU President E. Gordon Gee said the conflict does not involve the university.
“This is not our fight,” Gee said during a meeting with The Lantern editorial board Wednesday. “This is between Sodexo and the union.”
But Gee said allowing the Sodexo employees to unionize would squeeze out volunteer groups who work at the stadium, and he would not allow that to happen.
Ryan Marchese, president of United Students Against Sweatshops and a member of the protest, called Gee’s comments “untrue” and “hypocritical.”
Gee “continues to spread false rumors about unionizing on campus,” Marchese said. “These workers are working on our campus, and we have so much power and pressure we could put on Sodexo.”
Marcia Snell, 58, was a stand supervisor involved in the strike who has worked for Sodexo for 11 years. She said OSU should take responsibility for Sodexo’s labor practices.
“OSU is the employer of Sodexo, so (Gee) can pass it off as just a problem between the union and Sodexo, but they employ Sodexo,” she said. “OSU is accountable for the companies they employ.”
Snell said she wants Sodexo to be held accountable for what she called favoritism in the workplace.
“We want the managers to have to answer to somebody and work with somebody who will represent us,” she said. “We just want respect from the company and appreciation for what we do for them.”
No Sodexo employees will be fired or punished for striking, King said.
Union members from cities including Cleveland, Cincinnati and Indianapolis came to support the Sodexo workers.
Dina Smith, 40, a janitor in Cincinnati and member of the labor union, came with about 10 other union members from Cincinnati to support the Sodexo workers at OSU.
“I want to help out my brothers and sisters to fight for better health care and a living wage,” she said. “We’re not trying to be living large — we’re not crazy. We just want to live comfortable.”
Sandra Ellington, 41, a custodial worker in Cleveland and a union member, came with eight other union members from Cleveland.
“My brothers and sisters need to get decent wages and be treated fairly,” she said. “We’re going to stick it out to the end.”
Amy Lawhead, 34, a stand supervisor who has worked for Sodexo on-and-off since 2002, was also involved in the strike and said that even though she is one of the higher-paid Sodexo employees at OSU, she cannot financially support her family.
“I cry sometimes to think about the time I spend away from my family, knowing I still don’t make enough to support them,” she said. “I don’t feel like I should work this hard just to be disrespected and overlooked.”
Lawhead said she cannot afford basic household items on her $12.87-per-hour salary.
“We always have to choose between necessities,” she said. “Are we going to have toilet paper or toothpaste? Food or heat to cook the food?”
The path to a better life is not as simple as finding another job, Lawhead said.
“You never want to quit your job,” she said. “I have to take care of my family, and even taking a week off would put me even further behind.”
Tom Suber, 63, who stocks concession stands at the Schottenstein Center and has worked for Sodexo for 10 years, said the wages Sodexo pays its employees are unacceptable.
“Nobody should be working full-time and have to be on welfare,” Suber said. “That’s obscene.”
Suber said striking is the best way he and his co-workers can communicate their message.
“We have a chance to do something about it,” he said. “A chance to change things, not only for ourselves but for other people in the food service industry and all over the country.”
Shelly Hoffman, spokeswoman for OSU, maintained that the university is neutral.
“While we are not directly involved with this matter,” she said in an e-mail, “we hope both sides will come to a satisfactory solution.”
Justin Conley and Lauren Hallow contributed as reporters to this story.
