As students, faculty, alumni and community members, we stand with Sodexo dining workers at William & Mary in their fight for equality, dignity and respect.

A majority of Sodexo dining workers at William and Mary have signed a petition asking Sodexo to show workers respect by agreeing to a quick and fair process that allows workers to organize and decide whether to form a union without threats and intimidation. William and Mary should tell Sodexo to agree to a peaceful process of decision-making as opposed to one filled with conflict.

Many of us have also had the opportunity to hear directly from Sodexo employees about concerns related to working conditions on campus. The vast majority of Sodexo dining workers at William and Mary are Black. Many Sodexo workers have worked at William and Mary for decades and served generations of students.

Some Sodexo workers report struggling with food insecurity at home. One worker described skipping meals himself so he had enough food for his family to eat. Others report struggling to pay rent and avoid eviction. Workers are organizing in order to address these problems and improve their lives.

We stand with our dining workers who are asking for their voices to be heard.