Local 792 members had a lot of concerns going into negotiations with Quest Food Service Management. The members work for dining services at Wright State University, and have been employed by various food service contractors who have come and gone from Wright State. The latest employer transition was particularly difficult. Former employer Chartwells left the workplace in disarray, and while new employer Quest recognized the Local 792 collective bargaining agreement, they initially failed to implement benefits the union had won in the past, including a short term disability policy and company-paid life insurance. While these benefits were won back through a series of transitional negotiations backed up by shop floor actions, senior members were concerned that Quest would come looking for concessions.
There were also issues of unity within the local. A long layoff during the pandemic and a tough work environment during the return to work and the employer transitions had tempers short, and many long-time members and former union leaders retired or sought employment elsewhere. Turnover was high, and the local struggled to integrate new members. However, during preparations for bargaining this year, the Local 792 bargaining committee was able to help new members with a backpay issue they discovered while reviewing the information request, and was able to build more unity.
Though several bargaining committee members had been on the job for many years, it was everyone’s first time in negotiations. The committee worked hard to get as many members as possible informed and involved throughout the contract fight. First, the bargaining committee surveyed the members about contract issues. Then Vice President Printus Foward had union buttons made and asked members to start wearing them at work. April King, who was hired after the Quest transition, designed flyers for members and led walk-throughs at all of the Wright State dining locations to check in with members about key issues and invite them to ratify the bargaining platform at an upcoming meeting. Recording Secretary Erin Wright and committee member Sharry Bucholz joined the walk-throughs.
Bargaining began shortly after, and each day Wright updated the members with a message from the bargaining committee in the Local 792 Facebook group. Communication was especially important to Wright, who said “Last time, members were kept in the dark and I wasn’t too happy with the contract. Everyone deserves to know what’s going on! I learned a lot from this process and I think it’s better for the union.”
The bargaining committee dealt with various issues that had come up during the transition and had to navigate new employer policies, but was able to negotiate workable solutions. Quest avoided asking for any concessions on benefits, perhaps because they knew how seriously Local 792 has taken these issues in the past.
However, wages were a major sticking point. The committee knew they needed to show Quest that the members were serious about their demand for higher wages, so they did additional walk-throughs and list work, asking members to sign a petition to back the wage proposal. In one morning they managed to contact almost every member, and when they re-asserted their first-year wage increase demand in the afternoon, they were able to present enough signatures to move management. King said, “I got chills when management finally accepted our proposal.”
Local 792 won a first-year increase of seven percent, with 3.5 percent increases for each of the following years, as well as improved sick time rollover and Juneteenth as a paid holiday. Foward said, “This is potentially life-changing money for the members. This is now the best-paying food service job in the city.”
The UE Local 792 Bargaining Committee consisted of Vice President Printus Foward, Recording Secretary Erin Wright, Sharry Bucholz, and April King. They were assisted by Field Organizer Heather Hillenbrand.