Owen Hill
Hunter College

"The majority of Hunter students are working class students; not only do we come from working class households, but most of us work to make it through school. So it's only natural that UNITE HERE Local 100's fight to save our cafeteria workers' raises, pensions, and health care struck such a chord with Hunter's student body. For, just like the workers that Hunter students so proudly stood in solidarity with, every day our living standards and those of our families are continuing to melt under the withering blows of slashed budgets, greedy employers and a deregulated banking system. Indeed, the response on our campus was so enormous that AVI Foodsystems, the cafeteria workers' employer, was forced to back down on the vast majority of their demands before the student/faculty boycott of the cafeteria even began. The resounding victory of UNITE HERE Local 100 and the courageous workers over a company that was demanding substantial concessions, points the way forward for students and workers alike, and reminds us all once again that solidarity really is the only way to win."

Charlie Carnow
University of Southern California

"When students organize with UNITE HERE, we organize for our communities and work to make real change to make sure we maintain the American dream in the 21st century. When we stand with workers, we stand for a vision of the campus that embraces students and workers as part of the community and pushes OUR universities to act for us on the issues we care about, economic inequality, environmental quality, and the fair use of our tuition dollar. I didn't have a full picture of what courage is until I met people like Ana, a Los Angeles hotel worker, who confidently marched a picket line with students talking about the healthcare injustices of her employer and how hard the fight was her but that she had confidence that justice would prevail. And when I stand and when students stand with UNITE HERE, we know we stand for a union that is worker-run and bottom up, so when we win together, we not only create a better future but win real change today."

Anna Robinson-Sweet
Yale University

"Last year, twenty other students and I joined Jose, an HEI* hotel worker, to delegate the investments office of my school because they are invested in HEI. We wanted them to urge HEI to allow Jose and his co-workers a fair process to decide whether to form a union. We joined this fight because we want the tuition we pay to support companies that treat their workers fairly. Being a part of the HEI campaign has reaffirmed for me the importance of working with UNITE HERE. They don’t give up on a fight, as long as workers want to form a union, they will stand by them. At my university, the staff belongs to UNITE HERE. Because of their commitment, they won a contract that provides a living wage, full benefits, and job security--and that’s good for the entire university community."

Shanique Jones
Former Kutztown University student

"There is something that happens when the so-called least of us -- the housekeepers, the cafeteria workers -- challenge a powerful system that oppresses them and wins. I've had the opportunity of seeing this first hand as an organizing intern for UNITE HERE. What I loved most was the fact that the workers were leaders. What a simple yet revolutionary way of thinking! There are labor organizations that treat the people they represent as pawns to further their own agendas. They control everything as if members can't think for themselves. More and more, these organizations look like the corporations they are trying to fight against. I'm happy to say that UNITE HERE doesn't work this way. So when you see UNITE HERE stamped on a tee-shirt, a sign, or a flyer, know that it represents an organization that is worker centered and worker driven (no additives included)!"