We, the undersigned students and community members, call upon University Housing to reverse their decision to stop feeding student employees free shift meals. Many student workers, as well as other employees, rely on shift meals. The unilateral cut in compensation is unacceptable. Further, we demand that University Housing reimburse its employees for the shift meals they have been charged for in the form of back wages.
Why is this important?
UO Dining is currently in the process of taking away free shift meals as part of the compensation for their student workers. Free shift meals are a normal form of compensation in the dining industry, and have a long tradition at UO. Previously dining employees received a free meal with every shift. Students relied on those meals. Unilaterally cutting compensation in this manner is unacceptable.
Currently, the price of shift meals has been raised to $1, but Dining has said that starting January they will be $3. Over the course of a year that is over $700. If we can afford to Pay President Schill $800,000 a year, we don't need to nickel and dime our hard working student employees.
