4
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      News
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Panther
      Prints
      February
      13,
      1996
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Marriott
      Workers
      Fighting
      for
      More
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Cindy
      Venema
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      the
      cold
      and
      wet
      weather
     
     
      conditions,
      employees
      of
      Marriott
      food
     
     
      services
      at
      UPEI
      have
      decided
      that
      it
      is
     
     
      time
      to
      fight
      for
      their
      rights.
      Being
      the
     
     
      lowest
      paid
      employees
      on
      campus
      and
     
     
      the
      lowest
      paid
      Marriott
      establishment
     
     
      in
      Canada,
      the
      workers
      became
      union-
     
     
      ized
      with
      UFCW
      in
      September
      so
      that
     
     
      they
      could
      improve
      these
      wages.
     
    

    
     
      About
      ten
      workers
      depend
      on
     
     
      their
      jobs
      at
      Marriott
      as
      main
      sources
      of
     
     
      income.
      Yet,
      there
      are
      virtually
      no
     
     
      raises
      given
      to
      those
      faithful
      employees
     
     
      who
      have
      been
      working
      at
      this
      enter-
     
     
      prise
      for
      a
      long
      time.
      In
      fact,
      some
      of
     
     
      the
      part-time
      employees
      are
      up
      to
      three
     
     
      years
      at
      the
      university
      cafeteria,
      and
      are
     
     
      still
      making
      minimum
      wage.
      One
      of
     
     
      the
      strikers
      commented:
      ‘‘I
      could
     
     
      babysit
      my
      neighbour’s
      kids
      and
      make
     
     
      the
      same
      amount
      of
      money’’.
      So,
      the
     
     
      Marriott
      workers
      have
      taken
      off
      the
     
     
      uniforms,
      put
      on
      their
      walking
      shoes,
     
     
      and
      raised
      their
      voices,
      because
      they
     
     
      refuse
      to
      be
      bullied.
     
    

    
     
      Of
      course,
      before
      the
      strike
     
     
      started,
      the
      union
      and
      Marriott
      went
      to
     
     
      the
      bargaining
      tables,
      but
      the
      best
      that
     
     
      Marriott
      could
      offer
      was
      a
      two
      percent
     
     
      increase
      for
      all
      employees
      in
      1997.
      An
     
     
      offer
      that
      was
      refused
      by
      the
      employ-
     
     
      ees,
      and
      so
      they
      were
      ‘‘forced’’
      to
     
     
      strike.
     
    

    
     
      Both
      parties
      are
      sorry
      that
      the
     
     
      students
      have
      to
      be
      inconvenienced
      in
     
     
      this
      issue,
      and
      although
      the
      university
     
     
      does
      not
      want
      to
      get
      involved,
      they
      are
     
     
      forced
      to
      face
      the
      concerns
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ty’s
      position
      on
      the
      strike,
      that
      they
      are
     
     
      taking
      a
      neutral
      position,
      maintaining
     
     
      order
      and
      peace.
      And
      although
      they
      are
     
     
      unionized,
      they
      legally
      must
      cross
      the
     
     
      picket
      line
      because
      they
      are
      a
      manda-
     
     
      tory
      service
      on
      campus.
     
    

    
     
      Many
      of
      the
      students
      are
      intimi-
     
     
      dated
      by
      the
      picket
      line,
      some
      saying
     
     
      that
      the
      picketers
      were
      ‘‘harassing”’
     
     
      them.
      However,
      Steven
      Hubert,
      a
     
     
      student
      resident
      at
      Bernardine
      Hall,
     
     
      formed
      a
      petition,
      with
      107
      signatures
     
     
      from
      students
      on
      residence,
      supporting
     
     
      the
      striker’s
      cause.
      Some
      of
      these
     
     
      students
      even
      boycotted
      the
      cafeteria.
     
     
      Although
      the
      union
      reps
      are
      pleased
      by
     
    
   
   
    
     
      strike
      issue.
      When
      asked
      about
      a
     
     
      possible
      injunction,
      Crossley
      answered
     
     
      that
      they
      are
      not
      going
      to
      ‘‘flex
      the
     
     
      law’’
      as
      long
      as
      the
      picket
      line
      remains
     
     
      informative;
      and
      the
      university
      sup-
     
     
      ports
      the
      right
      of
      communication.
     
    

    
     
      The
      strikers
      have
      not
      asked
     
     
      anyone
      openly
      to
      honour
      the
      picket
      line
     
     
      as
      of
      yet;
      however,
      there
      is
      a
      concern
      -
     
     
      that
      they
      will
      interfere
      with
      deliveries
     
     
      of
      supplies
      to
      the
      university,
      consider-
     
     
      ing
      most
      deliveries
      are
      from
      unionized
     
     
      companies.
     
    

    
     
      Another
      concern
      of
      the
      university
     
     
      is
      that
      the
      other
      unionized
      employees
     
     
      on
      campus
      may
      decide
      to
      honour
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Marriot
      Workers
      on
      Strike
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo
      by
      Jennifer
      Caseley
     
    
   
   
    
     
      negotiate
      is
      $1.50/hour
      for
      every
     
     
      employee
      to
      start
      with,
      and
      the
      pay
     
     
      raises
      after
      the
      probation
      period
      is
     
     
      negotiable.
      Marriott
      executives
      have
     
     
      come
      in
      to
      settle
      affairs
      quickly,
      and
     
     
      Dr.
      Crossley
      is
      very
      happy
      with
      how
     
     
      smoothly
      negotiations
      are
      going.
     
    

    
     
      The
      first
      meeting
      between
     
     
      Marriott
      and
      the
      school
      occurred
      on
     
     
      Friday
      at
      11:00
      am.
      Marriott
      stated
      that
     
     
      if
      they
      are
      forced
      to
      raise
      their
      employ-
     
     
      ees
      salaries,
      then
      the
      price
      of
      food
     
     
      might
      have
      to
      be
      increased
      next
      year.
     
     
      The
      university
      must
      take
      part
      in
      deci-
     
     
      sions
      regarding
      increases
      in
      student
     
     
      prices,
      and
      so
      they
      are
      looking
      at
      some
     
     
      interesting
      options,
      such
      as
      extending
     
     
      Marriott’s
      services
      on
      campus.
      These
     
     
      are
      ideas
      that
      have
      been
      previously
     
     
      discussed,
      but
      now
      they
      are
      being
     
     
      pushed
      to
      the
      forefront,
      and
      are
      being
     
     
      considered
      seriously.
     
    

    
     
      Marriott
      voiced
      its
      position
      on
     
     
      the
      strike
      issue
      to
      the
      students
      and
     
     
      media
      on
      Friday.
      They,
      like
      all
      the
     
     
      other
      parties,
      want
      to
      have
      this
      matter
     
     
      reconciled
      quickly.
      When
      Michel
     
     
      Marleau,
      Director
      of
      Operations
      for
     
     
      Marriott
      in
      Atlantic
      Canada,
      was
      asked
     
     
      what
      the
      possibility
      was
      for
      Marriott
      to
     
     
      pull
      out
      of
      their
      contract
      with
      the
     
     
      university,
      he
      said
      that
      ‘‘They
      had
      no
     
     
      intention
      of
      leaving
      at
      this
      point
      in
     
     
      time.”’
     
    

    
     
      Marriott
      has
      a
      long
      standing
     
     
      relationship
      with
      the
      university,
      and
     
     
      they
      would
      like
      to
      ‘‘extend
      that
      partner-
     
     
      ship
      for
      as
      long
      as
      [they]
      can’’.
      Michel
     
     
      admitted
      that
      profits
      are
      not
      good,
      and
     
     
      that
      they
      have
      had
      some
      trouble
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      students,
      especially
      those
      of
      the
      resi-
     
     
      dence
      students.
     
    

    
     
      So
      far,
      the
      strikers
      have
      been
     
     
      reasonably
      peaceful,
      apart
      from
      the
     
     
      incident
      last
      Thursday
      morning
      when
     
     
      they
      were
      blocking
      the
      Belvedere
     
     
      entrance
      to
      the
      school.
      A
      cab
      driver,
     
     
      who
      was
      going
      on
      vacation
      to
      Florida
     
     
      that
      day,
      decided
      that
      he
      was
      not
      going
     
     
      to
      slow
      for
      the
      line.
      Unfortunately,
      he
     
     
      hit
      a
      pregnant
      employee
      in
      the
      process.
     
     
      Union
      strikers
      (not
      local
      Marriott
     
     
      employees,
      but
      were
      called
      in
      to
      assist
     
     
      the
      strike)
      took
      action
      by
      kicking
      the
     
     
      car.
      These
      aggressive
      strikers
      were
     
     
      arrested,
      and
      security
      forced
      the
      work-
     
     
      ers
      to
      move
      their
      line.
      Cst.
      R.
      Jewell
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      strike
      and
      not
      come
      to
      work:
      such
      as
     
     
      the
      administrative
      staff
      and
      the
      mainte-
     
     
      nance
      staff.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Marriott
      on
      campus
      is
      a
     
     
      small
      unit,
      and
      very
      unprofitable.
     
     
      Crossley
      admitted
      that
      ‘‘one
      of
      the
     
     
      reasons
      that
      the
      students
      are
      getting
      an
     
     
      affordable
      meal
      plan
      is
      that
      Marriott
      is
     
     
      underpaying
      its
      workers.’
      There
      are
     
     
      predictions
      floating
      around
      that
      if
     
     
      Marriott
      does
      not
      settle
      soon
      it
      may
      pull
     
    
   
   
    
     
      this
      support
      (and
      it
      is
      student
      support
     
     
      that
      they
      are
      looking
      for),
      they
      noted
     
     
      that
      they
      want
      the
      students
      to
      eat,
      and
     
     
      practically
      speaking,
      Marriott
      would
     
     
      lose
      more
      money
      if
      the
      students
      did
      eat.
     
    

    
     
      The
      petition
      also
      had
      a
      cover
     
     
      letter
      stating
      the
      students’
      unease
      with
     
     
      the
      strike,
      particularly
      students
      who
     
     
      come
      from
      homes
      where
      a
      family
     
     
      member
      is
      part
      of
      a
      union.
      The
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      would
      like
      to
      be
      reimbursed
      for
     
     
      this
      ‘‘inconvenience’’,
      and
      have
      out
      of
      UPEI
      altogether.
      Raymond
     
     
      brought
      their
      concerns
      to
      the
      universi-
      Gallant,
      the
      Union
      representative,
     
     
      ty’s
      attention.
      These
      anxieties
      are
      being
      expressed
      the
      possibility
      that
      ‘‘they
     
     
      dealt
      with
      by
      the
      university
      executives.
      [Marriott]
      are
      using
      [the
      strike]
      as
      a
     
    

    
     
      Dr.
      John
      Crossley,
      University
      _
      ploy
      to
      get
      the
      university
      to
      open
      their
     
     
      the
      Univetsity
      Security
      Police
      Depart.
      Vive
      President,
      stated
      thettiey
      are.
      contact
      before
      it
      falls
      out’.
      better
      (interestingly,
      it
      is
      still
      the
      same
     
     
      ment
      noted,
      when
      asked
      about
      securi-
      keaping
      in
      comnct
      Wirt
      iets
      pevyers
      a
      ne
      Dee
      ‘
      os
      aceaneane
      ‘as
      chef
      cooking
      as
      before).
     
    

    
     
      :
      see
      where
      the
      university
      stands
      inthe
      _
      Gallant,
      that
      the
      union
      is
      willing
      to
     
    

    
     
      eee
      eee
      ee
      eee
      eee
      eee
      eae
      eee
      eee
      ee
      ee
      ee
      eee
      eee
      ae
      ee
      ee
      eee
      ne
      se
      ee
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      university
      in
      the
      past,
      however,
     
    

    
     
      before
      they
      raise
      the
      prices
      of
      food,
      they
     
    

    
     
      are
      going
      to
      propose
      some
      other
      options
     
    

    
     
      to
      the
      university.
      In
      fact,
      raising
      the
     
    

    
     
      food
      prices
      may
      actually
      decrease
      their
     
    

    
     
      net
      profits,
      with
      university
      students
     
    

    
     
      being
      so
      sensitive
      to
      price
      increases.
     
     
      The
      satellite
      services
      (the
      Pit
      and
     
    

    
     
      the
      AVC
      cafeteria)
      will
      not
      be
      opened
     
    

    
     
      until
      negotiations
      are
      complete.
      How-
     
    

    
     
      ever,
      Marriott
      will
      continue
      to
      offer
      full
     
    

    
     
      services
      to
      the
      residence
      students.
      With
     
    

    
     
      scabs
      taken
      in
      from
      New
      Brunswick
     
    

    
     
      and
      Nova
      Scotia,
      the
      cafeteria
      is
      getting
     
    

    
     
      its
      food
      out,
      and
      according
      to
      one
     
    

    
     
      residence
      student,
      the
      food
      tastes
      a
      lot