New York City’s largest food service union announced today that after successful strike votes they will head back to negotiations with the company

New York, NY — At a rally outside the Sodexo cafeteria located in Bloomberg Media at 731 Lexington Avenue, food service workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 100 employed by Sodexo at the Federal Reserve of New York, 3 Bloomberg Media locations in New York, East Orange School District, Colgate-Palmolive, UFT, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, BNP Paribas NJ, Benjamin Moore, and Ramapo College announced they voted to authorize strikes. After the strike votes UNITE HERE Local 100 and Sodexo reached agreement to return to the negotiating table on March 17. UNITE HERE Local 100 will halt any plans to strike at Sodexo locations until that time.

Sodexo and UNITE HERE Local 100 released the following joint statement at the rally:

“Sodexo and UNITE HERE Local 100 Union have been engaged for several months in serious collective bargaining negotiations for new collective bargaining agreements for unionized employees in the NY/NJ area.  Many important issues have already been agreed upon.  There are, however, still some significant issues that remain to be resolved. The union and Sodexo have agreed to return to the bargaining table on March 17. We are confident that we are on a path, with additional and continued good faith bargaining, to reach a full agreement on all issues soon that will be fair to our employees and union members.”

Up against record inflation and skyrocketing cost of living across the U.S., in 2022 and continuing this year thousands of Sodexo cashiers, cooks, and other food service workers took their futures into their own hands, forming unions and mobilizing to win historic contract victories at corporate cafeterias, university dining halls, airport loyalty lounges, convention centers, and stadiums and arenas, among other places. Significant wage increases have been at the forefront of the workers’ demands, with Sodexo food service workers winning $3.95 in Oakland, $3 in Orlando and Williamsburg, VA, and an average of $4.11 in Atlanta, North Carolina and Oklahoma in new union contracts. UNITE HERE Local 100 members in New York and New Jersey are seeking a $20 minimum wage.

“We need more money to live in New York. It’s difficult to cover my rent, electricity bills, my transportation, groceries, and credit card debt. A raise would help me a lot, and I know Sodexo has the money to pay me more. I voted to strike because we need a raise and we need it right now,” said Ryllis Roberts, a Sodexo cook in the cafeteria at Bloomberg.

Hospitality workers’ union UNITE HERE Local 100 represents contracted food service workers at other notable New York institutions including The New York Times, the New York Stock Exchange, the United Nations, Madison Square Gardens, and Yankees Stadium.

Sodexo workers at the Las Vegas Convention Center, members of Culinary Workers Union Local 226, voted to authorize a strike in December 2022. Their contract negotiations with Sodexo are ongoing.

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UNITE HERE Local 100 represents over 17,000 service workers in cafeterias, restaurants, bars, delis, airports, and sports and exhibition arenas throughout New York City, Long Island and Northern New Jersey – including almost 700 at Sodexo.