Why were banners dropped on Georgetown campus this summer?

Students touring Georgetown University got a bit more than they bargained for this summer. Amid chatter of test scores and class size, students and their parents got a lesson in the business practices of Aramark, Georgetown’s food service provider and largest contractor. As dozens filed out of the admissions office, a banner unfurled above reading “Aramark Exploits Farmworkers.” Concluding their tour in front of the student center, visitors were met with another banner connecting the cafeteria’s tomatoes to poverty wages and sweatshops.

The banners referenced issues highlighted by the current Student Farmworker Alliance (SFA) campaign. ‘Dine With Dignity’ targets food service giants like Aramark and Sodexo, who utilize their enormous purchasing power to demand cheap tomatoes from suppliers. As pressure is exerted downward, farmworkers all across the nation feel the squeeze. In Immokalee, Florida – a hub of US tomato production – wages have been stagnant for almost 30 years. Every day, workers labor without benefits or protections from malicious employers. In the most extreme cases, modern day slavery has been the grim reality.

Since Monday, local members of the SFA have been mingling with campus diners. Hundreds of future college students attending summer programs received flyers detailing Aramark’s connection to substandard labor conditions. Many expressed interest in learning more, and were happy to talk about the ‘Dine With Dignity’ campaign. Daily tours were also flyered and barraged with the facts about Aramark’s unjust profiteering.

But this week was not the first time Georgetown Administrators have heard of farmworkers’ plight. In December, a member of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) attended the university’s food committee meeting to deliver a letter demanding Aramark take action. For months, students have tried to meet with Andrew Lindquist, Aramarks’s Executive Director of Dining Services on Georgetown’s campus. After initially denying the company’s role in farmworker poverty, Lindquist left numerous emails and phone calls unanswered. Students were also unable to get a meeting after visiting his office.

And so one is left wondering: If Aramark has nothing to hide, why are they so afraid to meet with a bunch of students? Call or email Andrew Lindquist today, and demand that he – and Aramark – begin a conversation.

Phone Number: 202.687.2026
Email: email hidden; JavaScript is required

Sample script:

Hi, my name is _______ and I’m calling from university or organization. I was disappointed to read about your refusal to meet with students at Georgetown concerned about Aramark’s role in farmworker exploitation. As a representative of the company, it should be your priority to address the demands of customers and – most importantly – those working within your supply chain. As demonstrated by the agreement reached with BAMCo earlier this year, Aramark does have the capacity to cooperate with farmworkers to ensure dignity in the fields. Please don’t evade the issue any longer. Meet with students and begin a dialogue today! Thank you.