Thursday, February 26, 2009
{The Blue Banner}
Page 5
Students rally behind fired Ramsey employee
By Cassady Sharp
Assistant News Editor
CBSHARP@UNCA.EDU
A student-led boycott shortened the
lines at Cafe Ramsey this week after the
alleged firing of one of its employees.
“We are demanding that, if Bernice
McMillan’s firing was a direct result of
her call to close down Ramsey Cafe early
during the snow storm of Feb. 3, that she
be offered her job back,” said Student
Body President Nick Ladd.
Although McMillan’s case is still under
an appeals process, UNC Asheville’s con
tracted food service company, Chartwells,
fired McMillan for closing Cafe Ramsey
early the night of Feb. 3 when evening
classes were canceled due to inclement
weather.
Once the city busses quit running, her
usual mode of transportation, she left with
a ride a little after 7 p.m., according to
Students for Conscious Consumption, a
coalition of student-led activist groups and
organizer of the Cafe Ramsey boycott.
SFCC met last week with Dean of Stu
dents Jackie McHargue and Danny Dawk
ins, dining services director and campus
liaison for Chartwells.
McMillan’s firing prompted the coali
tion’s list of demands for Chartwells in
cluding an anonymous survey for employ
ees, improved working conditions and a
contingency plan for emergencies.
“We protect our students and faculty,
but not the people who feed us,” said co
alition member Elbe Little.
UNCA does not employ dining service
employees, however, so university clos
ings or delays do not apply to the food
service staff, according to Dawkins.
“There are 1,100 students living on this
campus and we have to feed them. That is
our number one priority,” Dawkins said.
“If every associate was able to close a din
ing facility whenever they wanted, there
Would be students on this campus with
nothing to eat.”
Since McMillan’s case is still pend
ing, Dawkins could not say much due to
Chartwell’s corporate confidentiality stan
dards, but he did say McMillan’s decision
lo close Cafe Ramsey violated Chartwell’s
policy regarding inclement weather.
“Any associate can make a decision,
but there is always a way to make that
decision,” Dawkins said. “I have never,
m 12 years, left anyone stranded. I have
slept here and drove around to pick em
ployees up and take them home.”
Members from SFCC discuss demands with Chartwells representative.
Susan Terry - Staff Photographer
Students enjoyed free bagels and coffee while boycotting the cafe on Feb. 18.
Extreme incidents, like a school shoot
ing, are exceptions to an associate autono
mously closing a dining facility, Dawkins
said.
Sophomore Lena Eastes considers Mc
Millan a good friend, and strongly advo
cates for her job reinstatement.
“Bernice needs her job back,” Eastes
said. “It is what anyone would have done
for their safety.”
The Cafe Ramsey boycott officially
started last Wednesday.
A few students from SFCC and Food
Not Bombs, an organization offering al
ternative food options, set up a small table
in front of the library and gave out break
fast pastries and coffee.
While providing free food, coalition
meinbers also encouraged students to
sign the petition boycotting the cafe until
Chartwell’s meets SFCC’s demands, in
cluding the reinstatement of McMillan.
“The vote was unanimous to go ahead
with the protest for today. I wanted to
make sure there was a consensus among
the group, and no one was strong-arming
anyone else,” Ladd said.
The boycott only applies to Cafe Ram
sey, excluding the dining hall and High-
smith union.
“One of the Cafe Ramsey workers came
out to read the petition and see what we
were doing,” said sophomore and SFCC
member Emily Rhyne. “Some of the em
ployees are worried that if a boycott is in
stated, they might get laid off.”
The boycott also addresses the larger
issue of how Cha^ells treats their erh-
ployees, Eastes said. Many employees
would like to speak up about working con
ditions but worry about the consequences,
she said.
“A big reason I choose not to be on
the meal plan and live off campus even
though I am a sophomore is because I
don’t like the way they run things.” Eastes
said. “I don’t like the way they treat the
people there.”
One of the most important implemen
tations SFCC demands is an anonymous
survey for Chartwell’s associates, accord
ing to Rhyne.
“They feel like they can’t talk because
their jobs are in jeopardy,” Rhyne said.
“We are trying to improve their working
conditions and represent them, but in or
der to do that we have to have an open line
of communication with them.”
An annual survey is already in prac
tice which employees report to an outside
third party, according to Dawkins.
The third party then communicates
feedback to the vice president of Com
pass, Chartwells’ umbrella corporation,
and it trickles down to regional positions
such as Dawkins’.
McHargue also volunteered as a uni
versity outlet for staff feedback.
“Our associates do not have -to follow
the confidentiality guidelines that I do,”
Dawkins said. “They can say whatever
they want about the situation.”
The Facebook group, “No Ramsey
Cafe Day”, consists of more than 800
members.
Dawkins said he worries about the
hearsay coming from various members’
posts.
“There are some things on Facebook
that are just not true. One post says that
one of om associates was fired who is
working right now,” Dawkins said at the
meeting last Tuesday.
Chartwells publicly stated that they
communicated reinstatement to McMillan,
but she has yet to respond. McMillan also
never responded to The Blue Banner s re
quest for an interview.
“We have a duty to serve the needs of
the students and the faculty of UNCA. We
have protocols in place to balance both re
quirements, and they were not followed
at this particular location,” the company
said.
Ladd said SFCC wants to break down
See chartwells Page 6 I