GAMBIER — Members of United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America Local 712 and their supporters staged a quiet demonstration Tuesday afternoon, walking from the Middle Path in downtown Gambier to the Finn House, where the Maintenance Management Advisory Panel was meeting.
Union Representative Dennis Painter said the event was “a peaceful demonstration to let them know we still oppose outsourcing.”
“We settled our contract last week with a two-year deal,” he said, “But the issue of subcontracting affects people’s lives and that issue needs to be settled as well.”
A few minutes after the demonstrators arrived at the Finn House, Painter went in to address the panel and, he hoped, present some of the cost-saving suggestions the union has. The 40 to 50 demonstrators stayed for about 15 minutes to let the panel know they were there, then returned to their starting point.
Many carried signs expressing their feelings: “Keep Kenyon Kenyon,” “Say No To Sodexo,” “Preserve Our Community,” “Mrs. President, Wake Up!” and “Dysfunction from the Top Down.”
“The deadline for decisions from the panel is November,” Painter said,” But if we wait until then it will be too late. We need to let them know we are opposed to any form of outsourcing. It’s not healthy for the community or Kenyon College.”
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