04/03/18 - Medford/Somerville, MA - Dinig worker Patricia O'Brien claps during the unionization protest in front of Ballou on Apr 3, 2018. (Ray Bernoff / The Tufts Daily)
I took these photos for the Tufts Daily’s coverage of last year’s rally in support of a dining workers’ union at the university. It’s apropos that they were next in my queue of images to post, because those workers successfully unionized and announced recently — on March 5 — that they will be voting on March 14 to decide if they’re going to strike. I’m excited to see more Daily coverage of the negotiations and hope Tufts offers the workers a fair contract soon. They always seemed like a great bunch of people while I was a student there, and they (and everyone!) deserve a living wage and decent benefits.
Students march from Dewick to Ballou to support dining workers’ unionization on Apr 3, 2018.Yoji Watanabe, ’20, leads students in chants to support dining workers unionization on Apr 3, 2018.Lucson Aime addresses the crowd of students as other dining workers hold a sign with pictures of the members of their new union in front of Ballou on Apr 3, 2018. Dining worker Lucson Aime addresses the crowd of students rallying in favor of unionization in front of Ballou on Apr 3, 2018.Students gather outside Ballou to support dining workers’ unionization on Apr 3, 2018.Dining worker Lucson Aime shakes hands with Tufts’ chief administrative officer Patricia Campbell at the rally for dining workers’ unionization on Apr 3, 2018.Dining workers Grazia Defabio and Immacula Deroses dance outside Ballou at the rally to support dining workers’ unionization on Apr 3, 2018. Dining worker Patricia O’Brien claps during the unionization rally in front of Ballou on Apr 3, 2018.
