On May 6, three Huddle Employees accompanied by more than 50 students, faculty and community members presented a petition regarding pay and working conditions on Football Saturdays to University administrators. All but two of the 43 non-student employees in this department signed their names in support.
The petition describes the long and difficult hours worked by Huddle Employees on these Saturdays as an endless stream of customers pass through Sbarro, Burger King, Starbucks, Subway and the Huddle Store. It expresses concern over the unnecessary stress placed on Employees' lives and the lives of their families on these weekends.
The petition concludes with the following statement: "Employees of Huddle Food Services are proud of our work and certainly do not ask the University of Notre Dame to sacrifice any part of its wonderful community tradition on our behalf. However, we do ask that we are fairly treated and fairly compensated for our work. We, the Employees of Huddle Food Services, ask the University of Notre Dame to pay us time-and-a-half wages for all of our hours worked on Football Saturdays. We also ask the University of Notre Dame to abide by a strict break schedule of one 15-minute break for every four hours worked." For anyone who has seen the crowds in LaFortune on Football Saturdays, this request should not seem outrageous.
Not all the goals of the petition have been met. While it will clearly take patience and persistence to right this situation, I ask you to join me in demonstrating to these members of the Notre Dame family that someone here does care about them. It's the little things that count. Treat these members of our community with respect, and express your appreciation for their service. It's because of these people who work so hard behind the scenes that we can enjoy the great things that this University has to offer.
Stuart Mora
senior
Campus Labor Action Project
August 30
