ASU Living Wage Coalition is making sure ASU does not give its workers the run around when deciding on a new food service contract.
The Coalition will hold a "Run-Around" today on Hayden Lawn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for students to submit e-mails to the food service committee, which is responsible for selecting ASU's next food service contract, said Matt Kast, a chemistry freshman and member of the Coalition.
Coalition members hope e-mails from students will encourage committee members to give stronger weight to contracts that support a "livable wage," Kast said.
"If a person is working a full-time job," Kast said, "they should be able to support themselves without help from the government."
Volunteers for the Coalition will provide pre-written e-mails for students, said Matt Kruger, a global-science senior and member of the Coalition.
Students can use the pre-written form, modify it or start completely from scratch, he added.
The University's contract with Sodexho, ASU's current food service company, expires in July.
The committee will select a new food service company after listening to proposals March 5 and 6, Kast said.
"We want companies to state in their proposal how much they will pay their workers," he said.
The Coalition hopes the University chooses a contractor that emphasizes worker benefits, Kruger said.
"We hope they choose a contractor that has already established benefits for its workers," he said, "or a contractor that is willing to change its policy."
Last year, to improve worker's rights, ASU President Michael Crow established the Values-Based Standard For Business Relationship with Significant University Service Providers, Kruger said.
The standard was created to guarantee workers be paid a wage that meets their basic needs and to provide opportunities to enhance their skills and advance their education, Kast added.
"We are focusing on the wages," he said. "We want to make sure ASU follows up with their promise."
The basic needs defined by the Standard include: food, housing, health care, transportation and educational opportunity.
A full-time worker would have to be paid an amount exceeding the minimum wage to live under the most basic living conditions in Tempe, Kast said.
"A worker has to be paid at least $10.46 [per hour]," he said. "That is the amount decided as a 'living wage' in the Tempe area."
Arizona voters approved a new minimum wage in Nov., increasing the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.75.
Currently, the food service committee gives stronger priority to food service companies based on costs and quality, Kast said.
Two members of the selection committee did not return multiple phone calls Wednesday.
Reach the reporter at: gary.levison@asu.edu.
