Dining hall workers on campus are experiencing dramatic changes in operation due to COVID-19 protocol, and are struggling to keep up with the constant change of their work.
When Smith closed down last March, dining hall workers were paid for three days of labor, and many used their sick days, if they had them, to make up the difference. In the summer, most cooks received a furlough and obtained federal unemployment benefits without knowledge of when they would come back to work.
Similar to the story for many in the nation, the unemployment benefits started off being able to pay for living expenses, but sharply decreased until many workers struggled to make ends meet. A majority of the dining hall staff were on furlough until January, when half the student body came back to campus.
During this time, a monetary fund was set up by faculty to support the dining hall workers to meet their basic needs while out of work. Workers were able to apply for specific requests, such as car insurance or groceries, and the fund would cover them.
One dining hall worker who prefers to remain anonymous said “The college said, you are basically not our employee right now, we are not responsible for you. But make sure to come back when we call you.’”
Most workers came back to work in January, but some still did not return and are on ‘COVID leave’ at the moment.
“I think the experience, [for the dining staff] has varied greatly from some staff opting out for pandemic leaves and others stepping up into new roles and delivering amazing food” Andrew Cox, the Executive Director of Auxiliary Services, said.
The dining hall workers who did come back faced many new challenges of the setup of COVID safe dining. Between a closure of most dining halls and the new Grubhub system, it was extremely overwhelming for the staff.
Cox said, “Grubhub was the best available option on the market according to discussions with many peer institutions.”
“I’ve worked a certain way for 30 plus years,” the same anonymous worker said. “Now within two days you [the college] want me to change everything I know with the bare minimum of guidance.”
Some dining hall workers shifted their work around, or went to housekeeping jobs to avoid the stress. Housekeeping is part of the same union system, so this shift does not jeopardize their dining hall job in the future.
After a month of the new dining system many of the challenges subsided, but it leaves many questions for the near future. As of April 22, dining hall workers still do not know their jobs for the summer. With the summer quickly approaching, there is much uncertainty about what camps and activities will take place on campus, so the dining hall workers are left in limbo until these larger decisions are made.
For the fall, dining hall workers are fighting to make sure the Grubhub dining system does not stay in place. Workers are concerned that they do not have enough staff to complete the Grubhub orders as is, let alone having the entire student body on campus. They fear that the Grubhub system is unsustainable with the amount of labor that goes into it, and they do not have enough power over operational aspects of Smith dining to control when the food serving system will change.
Amid all this uncertainty, dining hall workers have remained hopeful. Many in the union have kept in touch through social media, phone calls, and organizing meetings. They plan to have a group picnic this summer when they are all vaccinated.
Many dining hall workers at Smith keep their jobs for decades, and create careers and community through Smith. The workers have lived through many changes in the dining hall system, including the closing of dining in every house. So these drastic changes are not something new for the workers.
“If you are around the kitchen for any amount of time,” A dining hall worker said, “you can see that you can’t do this kind of work and not form bonds”
[Image: Northrop dining hall (photo via theodysseyonline.com)]
