Tell UA: Cut Ties With Aramark!
Tell UA: Cut Ties With Aramark!
The Issue
The University of Alabama's dining halls are currently run by Aramark - one of the world's largest commissary suppliers of for-profit prisons. As a food service supplier, Aramark profits from unpaid prison labor in unsafe environments. Aramark profits directly from the abuse of incarcerated Alabamians and locks out local food businesses in the process.
Every day, students come into contact with the services Aramark provides. Unbeknownst to many in our community, Aramark has a long history of ignoring food safety standards and abusing inmate workers. This includes letting maggots into meals destined for prison kitchens and the sexual abuse of prisoners.
This is not a new concept. We stand united alongside the universities that have ended their Aramark contracts, including the University of Florida, the University of Rochester, Barnard College, and NYU. It is our responsibility to hold UA accountable for its affiliation with the prison-industrial complex.
We demand that UA end its contract with Aramark and invest in a system that prioritizes students, workers, and our local and national community.
Sources/Read More:
Members of the Free Alabama Movement marched on Washington, D.C. to protest Aramark's neglect and undernourishment of Alabama inmates.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/prison-strike-protest-aramark
Aramark charged Tuscaloosa businesses excessive fees to participate in the Dining Dollars program, harming the local economy.
Aramark forced unconvicted detainees to package and prepare meals in the state of California.
https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/2024/s277120a.html
Aramark harassed and abused workers at Fenway Park for seeking better wages, going as far as to threaten them and their families.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/24/business/fenway-concessions-aramark-red-sox/
Aramark ignored food safety standards and abused inmate workers for the sole purpose of extracting more profit from unpaid prisoners.
Aramark collaborated with Florida’s prison-industrial complex to withhold pay from prisoners in its In2Work Program, reaping billions in profits for the company.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/21/florida-unpaid-prison-labor
160
The Issue
The University of Alabama's dining halls are currently run by Aramark - one of the world's largest commissary suppliers of for-profit prisons. As a food service supplier, Aramark profits from unpaid prison labor in unsafe environments. Aramark profits directly from the abuse of incarcerated Alabamians and locks out local food businesses in the process.
Every day, students come into contact with the services Aramark provides. Unbeknownst to many in our community, Aramark has a long history of ignoring food safety standards and abusing inmate workers. This includes letting maggots into meals destined for prison kitchens and the sexual abuse of prisoners.
This is not a new concept. We stand united alongside the universities that have ended their Aramark contracts, including the University of Florida, the University of Rochester, Barnard College, and NYU. It is our responsibility to hold UA accountable for its affiliation with the prison-industrial complex.
We demand that UA end its contract with Aramark and invest in a system that prioritizes students, workers, and our local and national community.
Sources/Read More:
Members of the Free Alabama Movement marched on Washington, D.C. to protest Aramark's neglect and undernourishment of Alabama inmates.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/prison-strike-protest-aramark
Aramark charged Tuscaloosa businesses excessive fees to participate in the Dining Dollars program, harming the local economy.
Aramark forced unconvicted detainees to package and prepare meals in the state of California.
https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/2024/s277120a.html
Aramark harassed and abused workers at Fenway Park for seeking better wages, going as far as to threaten them and their families.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/24/business/fenway-concessions-aramark-red-sox/
Aramark ignored food safety standards and abused inmate workers for the sole purpose of extracting more profit from unpaid prisoners.
Aramark collaborated with Florida’s prison-industrial complex to withhold pay from prisoners in its In2Work Program, reaping billions in profits for the company.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/21/florida-unpaid-prison-labor
160
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Petition created on October 14, 2025