Bon Appétit Management Company, the contractor that runs the cafeteria at Lewis & Clark College in Southwest Portland, voluntarily agreed to recognize a union there on March 28 after a majority of workers signed union cards. Once a first union contract is negotiated and ratified, the cafeteria employees will become members of Seattle-headquartered UNITE HERE Local 8.
Bon Appétit is a subsidiary of the world’s largest contract food service company, UK-headquartered Compass Group. It manages cafeterias for corporations, universities, and specialty venues, including — in Portland — University of Portland, Reed College, and the Theory Cafe at the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry.
Members from Portland and Seattle helped with the organizing effort at Lewis & Clark.
UNITE HERE also campaigned at University of Portland, but didn’t find majority support for a union there.
UNITE HERE represents workers at a number of Bon Appétit cafeterias around the United States.
