Occupiers pan New School cafeteria contract deal BY LINCOLN ANDERSON
T
hey have some serious beef with The New School. New School students, joined by union activists and students from other schools, including Columbia and CUNY, have been picketing outside the University Center, on Fifth Ave. between 13th and 14th Sts., in support of New School cafeteria workers. Last Friday, the protesters threatened to block traffic on Fifth Ave. Students have been occupying the University Center’s cafeteria and calling for a shutdown of the entire school unless an acceptable contract for the cafeteria workers is negotiated. “Students and workers of the occupation absolutely refuse to believe any promises from New School administration, who have continually offered us nothing but lies,� read a statement from the protesters last week. “The occupation will continue until the school has signed a contract that guarantees jobs for all of the workers, higher wages and
PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY
Picketers outside The New School’s University Center last Friday.
benefits, as well as tuthe same b vouchers for their families. ition vouch In addition, workers and students demand that tha the current kitchen management be replaced and that managemen and workers be involved students an making and runin the decision deci ning of the cafeteria.� Protesters fear the school’s Protester long-term plan, once the new expires, is to de-unionize contract exp the cafeteria cafeter by taking the jobs “in-house� and making workers compete for them. As of this Tuesday, the occupation was still st going on, according to The Occupied New School Facebook page. Cafeteria Fa “The New School says that we to occupy despite are continuing continu their offer of a ‘positive resoo lution,’� a statement on lut the page read. “Their t resolution is far from positive for the cafeteria workers, who have ABSOLUTELY NOT asked us to stop occupying. If admin o wants us out, they can meet our demands!� One of their demands is for an investigation of alleged sexual assault by a current cafeteria worker.
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TheVillager.com
My 17, 2018
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