The Evergreen foodservice workers began organizing a union in the summer of 2000, under the employment of the Fine Host Corporation, the campus foodservice provider at the time. In the fall of 2000, workers staged a series of “quickie” strikes, job actions and community-supported protests to fight unjust firings, harassment of union supporters, and disrespectful treatment from the management of Fine Host. During these initial stages of the organizing drive, the workers received tremendous support from the Olympia branch of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World). That November, workers held a Union Candidate Forum in which four unions (AFSCME, HERE, IWW and ILWU) were interviewed to determine the representation of the food service workers. Although there was strong support for both the IWW and the ILWU, workers eventually decided to affiliate with the ILWU because of their rank-and-file democracy, their strength, and their power. Later that month, after Fine Host refused to voluntarily recognize the union despite the fact that 85% of the food service workers signed a petition in support of the union, the workers filed for a National Labor Relations Board sponsored election. After a determined campaign stoked by community and student support, workers won union recognition on January 11, 2001 by a vote of 31 to 12. The following months brought increased harassment by Fine Host management, and a long and difficult period of contract negotiations. In July of 2001, the union signed its first contract with Fine Host. On September 1st, 2001, the Bon Appetit Management Company replaced Fine Host as the new campus foodservice provider. Due to pressure by the foodservice workers, Evergreen required Bon Appetit to retain all current non-management employees for a minimum of 90 days. During the next few months, many long-time employees of the Evergreen foodservice quit due to arbitrary and drastic schedule changes, as well as blatant disrespect from management. In November of 2001, the workers signed a one-year union contract with Bon Appetit. Around the same time, the Evergreen foodservice workers affiliated with Local 5, Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon. In November of 2002, the foodservice workers went back to the bargaining table to negotiate a second contract. After brief but grueling negotiations, the union and the company reached an agreement, which included several improvements on the previous union contract. Among these improvements were overall less ambiguous contract language, a better grievance procedure, increased vacation time roll-over, the right to grieve new policies, shorter probationary periods for new employees, and pay raises for all bargaining-unit members. This contract, which will expire in 2005, was ratified and signed in February of 2003. In the two and a half years since the foodservice workers organized, they have gained many improvements, including increased vacation time, paid sick days and holidays, transportation benefits, job security and a grievance procedure, control over scheduling, an average of over $1.50/hour wage increases, and above all, a sense of empowerment and solidarity. Presently, Aramark has taken over the food service contract at Evergreen and we will begin negotiations with the company for a new contract in October, 2005.