The Student Workers Collective at Dartmouth held a rally on April 8 outside of the Class of 1953 Commons to protest automation of Dartmouth Dining locations as well as “union busting, food costs and management harassment,” according to a flyer circulated by the union. Approximately 30 students and community members attended the rally.
The rally follows a series of bargaining sessions with the College to renegotiate a February 2023 contract for student dining workers. While the contract was originally set to expire on March 18, the union agreed to a 30-day extension on March 12. SWCD will meet with the College for another bargaining session on April 17.
A number of issues remain on the bargaining table, including requiring a judicial warrant for Immigration and Custom Enforcement officers to enter campus, the creation of a $30,000 legal assistance fund for union members and increased wages, according to union member Hosaena Tilahun ’25. SWCD is also representing undergraduate advisors, who voted to join the union in May 2024.
Tilahun said the union organized the event because they believe the College is “stalling” in bargaining sessions.
“Dartmouth is stalling at the bargaining table and in providing us ways of how they would commit to supporting student workers, in particular international student workers, as well as the broader Dartmouth community,” she said.
During the event, attendees held signs that read “cops off campus,” “union strong,” “never cross a picket line” and “Dartmouth works because we do,” with one protester carrying a large Palestinian flag. In between chants, including “Dartmouth Dining you’re no good, treat your workers like you should” and “say it once, say it twice/we will not put up with ICE,” attendees gave a series of speeches on the union’s bargaining issues.
Attendee Maya Beauvineau ’26 spoke about the challenges facing international students, including that two Dartmouth students’ visas were recently suspended by the Department of Homeland Security.
“With everything happening on the national scale, especially international student [visas] being revoked and students being deported and removed from their campuses, their homes, it’s critical for universities … to speak out against these injustices,” Beauvineau said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
Nick Lutzky ’28 — who is not a union member — said he attended the event because he “really cares about food” and admires the “strength of workers.” Lutzy expressed concern over new touchscreen kiosks at Courtyard Cafe, which he believes takes away the human connection between workers and customers.
“When other people weren’t showing up, union workers show up for your food,” he said.
According to Tilahun, the union believes Dartmouth Dining used spring break as a way to “secretly” install the kiosks. She added that the College has not responded to the union’s “legally entitled” Request for Information concerning how automation will “impact labor cuts across dining locations.”
Dartmouth Dining director Jon Plodzik previously told The Dartmouth that no Dartmouth Dining employees have been fired following the installation of kiosks at Courtyard Cafe, although two have been relocated to other dining locations.
Tilahun said the union’s concern over automation reflects the larger sentiments of Dartmouth students. A recent Dartmouth Student Government survey found that the large majority of students were unhappy with the changes.
“We also reflect the broader frustration that the student body felt in noticing just how deeply ineffective and slow and dehumanizing it is to interact with kiosks at [Courtyard Cafe,]” she said. “So we’re building off that momentum.”
Finally, Tilahun emphasized the union’s concerns about rising food and tuition costs.
“We know that Dartmouth is more than capable of paying student workers and all workers on campus a livable wage, but instead, they seek to punish us through rising food costs and other methods like raising tuition,” she said. “...We think it’s really laughable that, at the same time, the Board of Trustees and [College] President Beilock are earning sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars [or] millions of dollars.”
Update Appended (April 11, 8:27 a.m.): This article was updated to more accurately reflect the union agreeing to a contract extension.
