Roughly 80 workers in Lehigh Valley, Pa., recently brought a
class-action lawsuit against Sodexo, a multi-billion-dollar food service
and building maintenance corporation. For years, Sodexo has stolen
wages from its employees at St. Luke’s and Good Shepherd hospitals by
forcing them to work off the clock and during breaks.
Shari
Kurtz, a food worker involved in the lawsuit, accurately concluded,
“Sodexo is trying to squeeze every last dime out of us.” “Too many
Sodexo workers live in poverty while the company rakes in billions in
profits”, said Wayne MacManiman of the Service Employees International
Union. When the company does pay its employees, they often make only
$8.25 an hour. (lehighvalleylive.com, Dec. 14)
The owners of
Sodexo are only interested in their bottom line; they have no regard for
the well-being of poor and working people. Until the capitalist system
of profit and exploitation is overthrown, workers can end the most
egregious violations of their rights only by organizing and fighting
back.
