Inappropriate Interjections
Recently, a group calling themselves “Students for Workers” has surfaced here at Lehigh. Under that name, they submitted a letter to the Brown and White which looked to galvanize support amongst Lehigh students for Sodexo employees to join the SEIU (Services Employees International Union).
Who are these students? Well, it’s tough to tell from the letter. One thing we do know though – these students obviously think that they are quite important. Despite having absolutely no role in the Sodexo-Employee-SEIU triangle, they felt it was appropriate for them to make demands of the other bodies. To quote:
“In order to improve the situation, we wish to hold a meeting in which students, faculty, staff, and workers can speak openly without Sodexo management present. We feel that their presence would only serve to intimidate workers. We request that you issue a written statement to all Sodexo workers at Lehigh, informing them that in the interest of upholding free speech on our campus, you endorse campus workers’ right to discuss their working conditions at our open meeting. Due to the severity of the problem, we implore you to take action quickly. We respectfully request a response to this letter within the coming week.”
There’s no doubt that these students feel righteous in their support for the abused and alienated workers that Sodexo employs. And that’s great for them. However, it creates several issues which need to be addressed.
First, the condescension of these students is insulting to Sodexo employees, and should be insulting to the rest of us, as fellow Lehigh students.
Once the letter was published, several Sodexo employees immediately commented online. One employee, identifying himself as Paul wrote:
“WE, the general employee staff at Lehigh, are sick and tired of Austin (that’s the little twerp bothering people everywhere on campus) and his pathetic gang constantly badgering us about union this, union that. Enough’s enough. When is it going to end?”
While this is just one example (there are others in the same comment section), it highlights an important and obvious fact: these students have little idea what they are talking about. Employees live their lives everyday, and many of them have been doing so since long before any of us arrived at Lehigh. They know how things work, and some like it, some don’t. You will find that at any job, but with all students having seen some of the same smiling faces this year that we saw as freshmen, it should be apparent that working at Sodexo isn’t that horrible.
Ultimately, it is up to the workers to decide that. From the responses so far, it is apparent that the “Students for Workers” organization wanted to see an inequity, found one, and started a crusade. In the meantime, they are completely disregarding the (quite valid) opinions of Sodexo employees such as Paul who don’t want the SEIU butting into the conversation, let alone a gang of ignorant students. It is quite evident from this is that these students feel that they are more competent not just to act for Sodexo employees, but to think for them as well.
Students at large should also be insulted by these “Students for Workers.” The unionization of Sodexo employees would likely drive up operating costs for Sodexo, and in the process drive up Lehigh’s already questionable dining prices. While these students may be willing to pay more to dine, they are campaigning for everyone else at Lehigh to do the same.
All of this is being done in the name of the typical liberal mantras of unionized workers creating a paradise for the working class and finally having a society with “social justice.” What they miss though, as usual, is reality. Unions are the same overbearing oppressive entities that liberals see corporations to be. Unions create agendas, bring politics into the workplace, and in general create more problems than solutions for everyone involved. They drive up unemployment by restricting the labor supply through their demands for higher wages.
Are unions worth it? That’s a case by case decision, and everyone has his or her own opinions. Specifically with Sodexo and the SEIU, neither you nor I knows if it is a good fit for a union. Ultimately though, it must be the employees choice to take action. By “intervening,” the “Students for Workers” organization has displayed both condescension and ignorance. Sodexo employees are more than capable of taking care of themselves, or asking students for help if needed. Unsolicited “help” which openly disregards some Sodexo employees’ wishes is extremely disrespectful to our dining staff, and a disgraceful display of arrogance by these supposedly intellectual students.
many people continue to work at “horrible” jobs out of economic necessity, real or perceived. that for many is reality. missing that awareness might be deemed ignorant.
we each have a right to define american democracy. in that same sense every worker has the right to define their union if they want to. that is not utopian. it is a right guaranteed by the u.s. constitution but constantly ignored and damaged by callous conservatives that invent philiosphy to justify their own narrow and selfish ends.
the article of the constitution that guarantees the right to assemble doesn’t say “except as it relates to employment”.
Lou–The article doesn’t deny the employees the right to join a union but merely remarks appropriately that the students don’t belong in this loop and don’t have a clue how the Sodexho employees really feel about this issue.
Mumma is right on target with this article and the SEIU is the most corrupt and left leaning organization in America—appropriate friends and funders of Barack Hussein Obama.
last i heard “left leaning” is not against the law despite the best efforts of many on the fascist side.
Ursula -
Do you feel vindicated in your attacks when you use President Obama’s middle name? What is your middle name? I’d love to start using it when I refer to your comedic posts. In addition, why don’t we start doing this for every human being? It’s so fun. Not to mention it’s only fair.
While it is not against the law to be left leaning, the term does describe the character and tactics of the SEIU and the people they fund.
Now, with respect to Barrack Hussein Obama and any vindication I may feel for using his middle name. I believe that you will find that most Presidents have traditionally been respectully referred to with their middle name or initial. George W. Bush, George Herbert Walker Bush, William Jefferson Clinton, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Richard Milhouse Nixon, Dwight David Eisenhower, Franklin Delanor Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman come to mind.
So out of respect for the office, I merely referred to our current President in the same context. Perhaps you would have preferred him referenced as Barry Saetoro which was the name he used at Occidental College when he classified himself as a foreign student to get financial aid? Not sure if he carried a middle name at that time in his life or subsequently when he hung out with drug dealers at Columbia University and traveled to Pakistan on a foreign visa.
This guy doesn’t belong in the oval office but until he is thrown out for illegally holding the office or voted out in 2012, I will continue to choose to honor the office as it has traditionally been done by using the full names of those holding the position.
Mumma, for the record, I believe the “Students for Workers” organization meets in the same room we hold Debate in on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. If not, I at least know that the student heading the organization is in the club that meets in that room right before we do. He tried to get me to sign their petition for unionizing Sodexo.
You can ask John who he is.
Mademoiselle Ursula -
Sadly you forgot my most important question. What is your middle name? Mine is Padraig. You may refer to me in the future using my full name, please.
PS I notice you listed many luxurious middle names but forgot George Walker Bush’s name? Indeed when I was in grammar school I do not recall knowing Monsieur le Presidente Nixon’s middle name. Oh well, silly me.
Damien Padraig Duff