Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Dining Workers at Virginia State University and Norfolk State University Win Recognition

Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Campus dining workers at two of Virginia’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)—Virginia State University (VSU) and Norfolk State University (NSU)—have officially been recognized as members of UNITE HERE Local 23.

These essential staff members are employed by Thompson Hospitality, a subcontracted food service provider.

“I’m proud of the hard work and resilience it took for me and my coworkers to show Thompson Hospitality that, just like workers at all the other union universities, we deserve better wages and excellent healthcare at VSU. I personally can’t wait until the contract so that I can be able to pay my bills and still have some funds left over to go see my family in Louisiana!” said Nikita “Miss Nikki” Whitten, a cook for four years with Thompson Hospitality at VSU.