Letters and Emails

I AM WRITING on behalf of several students who have voiced concerns over the treatment of Bon Appetit workers. There have been complaints that many of the employees appear to be overworked and mistreated by their superiors.

The Mission Bakery, for one, is obviously understaffed. Oftentimes a single worker is asked to run the entire stand by him or herself: ringing up orders, making coffee, and getting food. At busy times, this is far too much to ask of one person. On top of the stress of the job, students often complain to the workers about the slow service, which makes the workers feel inadequate. These workers are not the cause of the problem; but they do bear its repercussions.

To many, the interactions between managers and employees does not appear respectful. Students have witnessed managers speaking disrespectfully to workers on several occasions. Verbal abuse is never acceptable at the workplace, and the sense of intimidation it causes makes for awful working conditions.

On behalf of the SCCAP Labor Action Committee, I would encourage the campus community to be aware of these problems, and to confront them if they arise. The campus employees are a part of our community, which prides itself on compassion and respect. They should be treated as such.

Jacob David, religious studies, '04

on behalf of SCCAP Labor Action Committee