To the UBC Alma Mater Society and UBC Board of Governers,

We have recently heard from a number of UBC staff (particularly custodial and food service workers) who have been negatively impacted by the decision of the AMS to limit food bank users to students. Workers were surprised by the service cutoff and have since faced numerous barriers in accessing other food services on campus and in the city.

We have learned that this decision was made to keep costs low because the food bank anticipates a spike in users and food inflation in coming years. While we understand the budgetary restrictions that forced the AMS to cut staff access to the food bank, we support workers in their struggle for food security and demand that the AMS represent the voices of students who care about the workers who keep our institution running.

The AMS says: “Students are at the center of every decision we make and every action we take,” but the food bank made this decision without democratic consultation of the student body, and we want to know why. Progressive students don’t want to further the divide between students and workers. We want our campus to serve the people who make it work: students and workers together.

Everyone has been greatly impacted by the cost of living crisis. Inflation has hit 8.1% while staff wages have only increased by 3%, and rent continues to rise. When we asked workers about the impact of the food bank, they said that they most appreciated the staples (eggs, milk, onions, rice, and oil). Now that their access to the food bank has been cut off, they spend approximately $50-60 more per visit to the grocery store. Many staff, just like graduate and international students, are migrant workers who support families in Canada and in their home countries, such as the Philippines, meaning they are doubly impacted by the economic crisis.

In a recently released breakdown of the AMS food bank budget sent to UBC, graduate and international students were cited as the biggest food bank users. Sulong UBC includes many graduate and international students: we reject the implication that our usage of the food bank is the reason why the AMS can’t serve workers.

We want to work with the AMS to advocate for increased funding, whether from existing funding bodies or new ones, that will allow UBC staff to use our food bank. We also want to emphasize the need for student and worker solidarity now more than ever, in times of forced economic migration and the cost of living crisis.

We firmly support the demands of UBC staff for:

1. Access to the AMS Food Bank (at a minimum of one visit per week)
2. Commitment from the AMS and the UBC Board of Governors to maintain staff access to the AMS Food Bank in future years

Signed,