Special Projects Coordinator Louree Hayden '03 with help from Union President Ben Brandzel '03, has been working to help four non-student part time workers at the Stein Restaurant to join a union. According to Brandzel, the four workers are without medical benefits, vacation days or sick days. These workers work the lunch shift."It turns out to be both true and intentional that these workers are offered one-half hour less labor than would allow them to join the union," Brandzel wrote in his report to the Union Senate last Sunday. "This was intended as a cost cutting maneuver to allow them to hire more employees for less money."

"The one thing I learned is that Aramark at Brandeis is incredibly willing to look at the numbers and see what could be done to let these four workers join," Hayden said. "Aramark at Brandeis understands our commitment to social justice."

"We are looking to keep (Aramark's) costs low and to do it in the most equitable way," she said.

Brandzel said he should know in a couple of weeks how the numbers add up for Aramark.

These workers, who Brandzel describes as "adults" work for 19.5 hours each week. The minimum requirement to join the union is to work for twenty hours. If the workers were part of the union, Aramark would have to provide healthcare, vacation days and allow for other union benefits.

"We understand that Brandeis and Aramark operate within market forces, but as an institution dedicated to social justice we must strive to honor workers' needs for key benefits like health care and collective bargaining," Brandzel said. "This issue is about extending these privileges to all of our workers."

"We have met with Brandeis and Aramark officials, who are understanding and sympathetic to our concerns," Brandzel said. "We are looking into costs to determine feasibility, and will continue from there. "

"We are investigating the situation to see if a change in this policy is feasible," Brandzel said.

Laverdiere, the director of Aramark at Brandeis, told the Justice that Aramark does not need the employees to work the extra hour. After meeting with Hayden and Brandzel, however, she told them that she will check how much it would cost to add the extra time and pay the benefits that union membership would bring.

Hayden said that several students told her about workers not having enough hours and thus not being allowed to join the union. She decided to see if she could help them to set up a meeting with Aramark to discuss their situation.

-- Igor Pedan '05 contributed to this article.