SFU, Respect Our Jobs!

More than 100 food service workers on the Simon Fraser University campus, employed by Chartwells, are at risk of losing their jobs in the next year. Many of these workers are long-time members of the SFU community. Some have worked on campus for 15 or 20 years–or more! They work in Tim Hortons, White Spot, Mackenzie Cafeteria, Residents Dining Hall, the DAC and C-Store. The average wage of a Chartwells worker is $14/hour. All of the Chartwells workers count on these jobs to support themselves and their families. They can’t afford to lose their jobs if SFU changes food service contractors.

Eileen Leung (photo at right), a 19-year cook in Mackenzie Cafe, explains why her job is important to her and her family:

“I have 4 children. My husband died when the youngest was 4 years old. My youngest is now 26. I raised my kids by myself while working at SFU. I started working weekends and nights, but now because of seniority, I work days and get to be with my family on weekends. If SFU changes the food service contractor, we need to make sure we get re-hired, keep our jobs, keep our wages.”

There are many more Chartwells workers–the majority women–who’ve made great sacrifices to support their families while working at SFU.

Yorene Yu, a cook for 19 years, working in White Spot, says:

“I came to Canada from Shanghai in 1985. I have a degree in history and worked in a historical museum in China. I like the students at SFU. I like working in the SFU environment. I’m also supporting my two kids at university. One goes to SFU, one goes to Capilano. I need job security to support my family.”