ASU dining hall workers went on strike Feb. 18 during ongoing contract negotiations with Aramark, ASU's food service.
Workers from all four of ASU's Arizona campuses participated in the strike, organized by UNITE HERE Local 11. Protesters held signs, marched and chanted in picket lines on Taylor Mall in downtown Phoenix and outside of the Memorial Union in Tempe.
Victoria Stahl, the communications organizer at UNITE HERE Local 11, said the strike is being driven by workers' concerns over wages, benefits and long-term financial security.
"Everybody here is fighting for something," Stahl said. "Whether it be better wages so they can afford their bills and to raise their family, or ... want to have a pension to be able to retire."
The dining hall workers' collective bargaining agreement expired at the end of August 2025. In October they began protesting over alleged surveillance and intimidation by management, and on Nov. 17 the workers voted to authorize a strike.
READ MORE: ASU dining hall workers protest over alleged surveillance by management
Ma Holloway, a food service worker at ASU and one of the strike's leaders, joined the strike for better retirement protections.
"I'm fighting for my contract for three years," Holloway said. "I want to fight."
Gregoria Fernandez, a baker at the MU, has been working at ASU for about 13 years. Fernandez joined the strike because of how workers have been treated, and to fight for more respect.
According to Fernandez, the entire bakery attended the protest.
"I would like for them to have better training for their upper management, more teamwork, more motivation, more appreciation toward their employees," Natalie Dalton, a baker at ASU, said.
READ MORE: Dining hall workers hold second protest amid contract negotiations with Aramark
Betty Guardado, a Phoenix City councilmember for District 5, went to support the strike.
"We come to this country for that American dream, to give something better for our families, for our children," Guardado said.
Guardado emphasized the role immigrants play in the workforce and said workers should not be afraid to demand fair treatment.
"We're doing the right thing, for getting out here, for striking, for demanding," Guardado said. "These companies make the money that they make because of all of you, because of you guys; this country is made of immigrants. If it wasn't for all of us in this country, this country would be nothing."
Campus groups Students for Justice in Palestine at ASU and Student Worker Alliance at ASU posted on Instagram calling for followers not to dine at the POD market or dining halls during the strike.
Heather Dotchel, a spokesperson for Aramark, said the company is committed to reaching a settlement that "works for all parties."
"We have contingency plans in place to ensure our services are not interrupted and that the student dining experience remains strong," Dotchel said in a written statement.
Annabelle Vasquez, an ASU dining hall worker, said employees are striking to demand higher pay and benefits such as health insurance and pensions.
Workers are also seeking improved workplace conditions, Vasquez said, as some employees have reported being assigned workloads meant for multiple people.
Vasquez said it would be better to have a more adequate salary to help sustain a better livelihood. With what they are paid, it's not enough, Vasquez said.
Edited by Henry Smardo, Senna James, Sophia Braccio and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporters at mmart533@asu.edu and msweador@asu.edu and follow @miasweador on X.
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MJ is a senior reporter. She previously worked as a part-time reporter for Sci-Tech.
