Background

The University of Minnesota - Twin Cities contracts its food service through Aramark Corporation.  Throughout the 20-year period in which Aramark has provided food service to the campus through residential dining halls, on-campus restaurants, coffee shops, and other venues, serious concerns have been raised by the student body and other community members relating to dining quality, student representation, transparency, and dietary restrictions.

Initially signed in 1998, the agreement between the University and Aramark is set to expire on June 30th, 2020.  Prior to this contract, the University used a self-operated dining model. The University of Minnesota and Northwestern University are the only Big 10 universities that currently have contract-managed dining services, making the University of Minnesota the only public Big 10 institution to not be self-operated.

Aramark Corporation’s problematic history includes providing services to for-profit prisons and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as violating labor laws and food safety standards.  

The service Aramark provides on campus falls short of what students and the broader campus community expect.  Issues with food freshness, quality, nutrition, allergens, and dietary and religious accommodations are ongoing and are rarely thoroughly addressed.  Aramark consistently neglects its responsibility to incorporate campus feedback or implement permanent solutions to legitimate dining problems.

Context

Presently, the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is engaging in discussions about whether or not to re-sign with Aramark for food services. Student advocacy has been met with closed-doors and unresponsive communications attempts. We ask Senior Vice President Burnett, Vice President Berthelsen, and the Board of Regents to engage with student advocates on this topic and respond to our requests for participation in these discussions. Considering the problematic and unacceptable business practices of the company, it is contradictory to the University’s declared values and mission to continue contracting with Aramark. The University of Minnesota - Twin Cities must forego its agreement with Aramark, and choose another food service vendor or preferably, return to a self-operated dining model.

Action

Now is the time to stand up to Aramark and to the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and say ‘no more.’  No more involvement with a company that violates labor laws. No more giving business to a company that profits from the prison industrial complex.  No more contracts with an entity that fails to meet the campus community standards, disregards its social responsibilities, and contradicts University values.

We urge you to join our efforts and sign the petition to show the University that you do not support a contract with Aramark Corporation.  Together, we can alter the relationship between our campus and Aramark, and influence the future of dining at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.