To The Editor:

Kudos to Keene Equinox Editor Brittany Ballantyne for performing an appreciated watchdog role in her continuing coverage of the dreadful mistreatment of KSC Sodexo workers by the multi-national, self-described “world’s largest food service and facilities management” corporation, The Sodexo Group, based in France with nearly 40 percent of its business located in North America reported 2012 total profits of $1.3 Billion.

Its treatment of its workers is an international disgrace with condemnations from groups like Human Rights Watch and Students United Against Sweatshops. In other countries, Sodexo has to acknowledge and abide by rules and laws that require decent treatment of that country’s workers. In some cases, that includes collective bargaining laws that guarantee a level playing field between rapacious employers and the workers that make those same bosses rich. Often, these regulations require health insurance, against a backdrop of that country’s national health insurance programs.

But this is America where such basic rights and living conditions are constantly challenged and undercut. Apparently that $1.3 Billion of raw profit procured off the backs and out of the pockets of 16 Keene State College Sodexo workers wasn’t enough for the Sodexo bosses. Since Jan. 1 of this year, our 16 fellow community members lost their Sodexo health insurance so Sodexo could bob and duck this country’s effort at national health insurance, The Affordable Care Act. Sodexo claims that because of ACA, they “redefined” how part-time and full-time workers are defined and gee whiz , folks lost their health insurance. Uh-Huh. And in their numbers game, 16 of our own will go without health coverage or our tax dollars will fund their efforts through public health insurance programs, if they qualify.

I say Sodexo already gets a lot of our tax dollars. They feed our k-12 children, our college students, our elderly, our military personnel and yes, our prisoners. Doesn’t everyone deserve a decent meal? Please do some net research, using Sodexo as a search term, coupled with terms like food safety, lawsuits, food recalls, bid rigging, price fixing, lawsuits, worker treatment.

Over the last several years, American college students have led the way at numerous colleges and universities to protest Sodexo’s treatment of workers on their own campuses. Over a dozen universities ranging from Northeastern University, The University at Albany, Goucher, Oberlin and Regis have severed their food contracts as students demonstrated the power they have with their meal plans. Check out the Facebook page from United Students Against Sweatshops, “Kick Out Sodexo.”

It is time to hear from our community leadership – principal administrators, faculty, staff and students – about our response as a community, given Sodexo’s treatment of our 16 colleagues. Such ruthlessness by Sodexo is hard to stomach, no matter how appetizing those sizzlers may appear as they are served up by the same folks who Sodexo views as not profitable enough to qualify for their health insurance.

It is time to put our social justice ethics where our mouths are, literally.

Marianne Salcetti, Ph. D.

Department of Journalism

Keene State College Education Association – Executive Board and Communications

Marianne Salcetti can be contacted at msalcetti@keene.edu