Danny Glover Arrested – Danny Glover is most known for his movie roles, but he’s making headlines for his part in a protest against a French food services company.
On Friday, Glover and 11 others were arrested outside of the US headquarters of Sodexo, which workers accuse of union-bashing and poor working conditions.
Police arrested the actor along with the outgoing head of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Andy Stern, former Sodexo canteen cashier Terry Shelley and several others, after crossing a restricted police line outside the offices of the food services firm, reports the Associated Press.
The action brought together hourly-paid workers, students, and union representatives from Britain and France who sought to show support for US workers like Shelley, who said she was fired after becoming active in a trade union.
“We’re here today to say no more to deplorable pay and working conditions,” Glover told the crowd of around 300 as the shouted “No Justice, No Pizza,” a reference to cafeteria workers who claim they are underpaid and receive few benefits from Sodexo.
“This is a global corporation with global responsibility and we are going to hold them accountable to that responsibility,” said Glover.
The rally was the latest in a series of protests and civil disobedience actions across the United States against Sodexo, which workers and trade unions accuse of paying an unlivable wage and offering poor benefits. “Sodexo makes its money by turning good, high-paying, benefited, full-time jobs into low-wage, unbenefitted, part-time jobs,” Stern told the rally.
The protestors said they mounted their series of actions after 16 Sodexo workers were laid off after trying to unionize or becoming involved in union activities.
However, Sodexo officials deny those accusations and say the company is not opposed to unionization.
Police Captain Paul Starks said the protestors were cited for trespassing and taken to a nearby police station. All 12 were released after the protest ended, Renee Asher of the SEIU told the Associated Press.
