Food service workers at CT hospital to hold picket practice in fight over wages

Dozens of food service workers at Norwalk Hospital are scheduled to hold picket practices on Sunday gearing up for a fight over their labor contracts, according to union officials.

Around 70 food service workers at Norwalk Hospital are expected to participate including café workers, cooks, and others who help prepare food for patients, visitors, and staff, according to the union.

The workers are employed by Morrison Healthcare, which is subcontracted to manage the hospital’s food service, and are part of the Connecticut Health Care Associates 1199 union, according to a statement from CHCA. The workers are now organizing for a fair labor contract and practicing holding picket lines, according to union, after unionizing in August 2023.

An email seeking comment was sent to Morrison Healthcare. Repeated calls and emails seeking comment from Norwalk Hospital also were sent.

According to the union, food service worker wages hover just above minimum wage, with one worker employed for over 20 years and is making 7 cents above minimum wage. The union said that food service workers are the lowest paid employees at Norwalk Hospital.

The pickets are expected to take place at the commuter parking lot on Springview Avenue in Norwalk from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

“The workers are motivated and eager to negotiate a fair contract which provides for more economic stability, better benefits, and fair working conditions. Both Norwalk Hospital and Morrison Healthcare are familiar with workers unionizing, as Norwalk Hospital’s nurses and healthcare workers have already unionized,” CHCA said in a statement.

Food service workers under Morrison Healthcare also have unionized at other locations, including Waterbury Hospital, the union said.

“I want to praise these brave workers for stepping up and banding together to fight for better working conditions,” said David Hannon, president of the Connecticut Health Care Associates, with which the workers unionized. “These workers deserve more from Morrison.”

Among those expected to attend the pickets are CT AFL-CIO President Ed Hawthorne. Invitations were also sent out to Attorney General William Tong, state Sen. Bob Duff, and state Reps. Travis Simms, Dominique Johnson, Kadeem Roberts, and Lucy Dathan, according to the union.

The Courant reached out to Norwalk Hospital for a comment but did not hear back. The workers are employed by Morrison.

Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com