Today (2/10/10) members of SDS/SFA were scheduled to meet with an Aramark representative regarding the demands of the CIW but it was canceled at the last minute. Aramark decided to jerk around the CIW last week so the campaign against them is escalating nationally. Seeing how they were doing the samething to us we decided to escalate our tactics immediately by turning a cancelled meeting into a rally and protest in the Reitz Union!
Around 35 people showed up to confront Aramark about cancelling the meeting. We decided to keep our end the deal and hold the meeting at Terry Stevens office. His secretary accepted our letter on his behalf after we read to the staff a list of our demands. We then told them that if they did not meet them, we would act accordingly. We did so immediately by walking up the stairs and chanting "No more slaves! Pay a living wage!" We got the attention of all the students eating lunch in the Reitz Union, and told them who we are and how Aramark refused to meet the demands of the CIW. We then walked around the Reitz Union chanting. Employees of the Reitz Union tried to stop several of us but, knowing our rights, we ignored them and continued our protest.
Several students joined us in chanting and the march around the Reitz union. Several more came up to us to learn more about our cause and we invited them to come to our meetings. The Alligator and the Gainesville Sun were also there, so expect some more updates tomorrow with links to their stories.
Top story!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.alligator.org/news/campus/article_fc9587a2-16bf-11df-b7ad-001cc4c002e0.html
Hi SDS - I'm a UF grad student teaching a class called "Social Problems." In my class I have students participate in a protest for an assignment. Last semester they organized a protest against Bright futures cuts (which I know you have done work on in the past, but these students were new freshmen and were not at UF to participate in them).
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if you would like to come by my class this semester and discuss some of your actions that you have going on right now? Students would be happy to join in something that is already organized. If not, perhaps you could give them some pointers on effective protest tactics.
If you are interested head over to the course website - my email is located in my syllabus. http://ufsocialproblems.wordpress.com/