MILOS BICANSKI/GETTY IMAGES
Kofi's lunch service was cut short
Posted on 05/03/2003 1:44:09 PM PDT by Mark Felton
Food Fight
When the Food Workers Union stages an impromptu walkout at the U.N., the diplomats start looting for lunch and booze
MILOS BICANSKI/GETTY IMAGES Kofi's lunch service was cut short |
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Saturday, May. 03, 2003
Hunger pains can apparently turn even the most upstanding diplomat into a looter. At noon on Friday, food workers at the U.N. headquarters walked off their jobs, calling a wildcat strike. The result: none of the U.N.'s five restaurants and bars was staffed. The walkout left thousands of U.N. employees scrounging for lunch — eventually, the masses stripped the cafeterias of everything, including the silverware.
The food workers staged a one-day show of muscle after they learned that they would not be reimbursed for vacation pay due to a contract shift that took place in March. For the past 17 years the U.N. has been under contract to Restaurant Associates Inc. (RA). In March, RA lost the contract to Aramark Corporation, the largest U.S. food services company. According to Aramark executives who spoke to TIME, RA informed the food workers on Friday morning that it would only cover vacation pay that was issued before May 2nd, the last day of RA's U.N. contract. Any vacation pay due after May 2nd would need to be paid by Aramark.
But Aramark informed the Union it would only pay for time worked for their company and nothing previous with RA. Aramark told the union that whether or not vacation paychecks were to be issued before or after May 2nd the work in question was performed when RA held the U.N. contract.
That was enough to set the food workers walking during the height of Friday's lunch hour. After that, what ensued was nothing short of Baghdad style chaos.
Kofi Annan, who had a private lunch previously scheduled with the members of the Security Council in the Delegates Dining Room, found they were only served the main course. After that, they were on their own — no desserts, no cleanup, no coffee for Kofi. And the service was no better for anyone else at the U.N. But as tensions grew and stomachs growled, a high-ranking U.N. official boldly ordered that all the cafeterias open their doors for business even without staff. The restaurants had been locked shut by security until about 1:00 pm when the doors flung open.
The decision to make the cafeterias into "no pay zones" spread through the 40-acre complex like wildfire. Soon, the hungry patrons came running. "It was chaos, wild, something out of a war scene," said one Aramark executive who was present. "They took everything, even the silverware," she said. Another witness from U.N. security said the cafeteria was "stripped bare." And another told TIME that the cafeteria raid was "unbelievable, crowds of people just taking everything in sight; they stripped the place bare." And yet another astonished witness said that "chickens, turkeys, souffles, casseroles all went out the door (unpaid)."
The mob then moved on to the Viennese Café, a popular snack bar in the U.N.'s conference room facility. It was also stripped bare. The takers included some well-known diplomats who finished off the raid with free drinks at the lounge for delegates. When asked how much liquor was lifted from the U.N. bar, one U.S. diplomat responded: "I stopped counting the bottles." He then excused himself and headed towards the men's room.
An Aramark executive estimated the food "removed" from the U.N.'s main cafeteria at between $7,000 and $9,000 not including the staff restaurant, the Viennese Café or the Delegate's Bar. The value of the missing silverware has yet to be estimated.
Come Monday, the workers should be back at their stations. The dispute has been temporarily resolved with the Union agreeing that the vacation pay remains RA's responsibility. The Union also wasn't willing to risk Aramark's only option of replacing all the workers.
"I hope we have large crowds rushing to come to lunch on Monday," an Aramark executive said. "But this time we expect them to pay for what they take."
What law gives them the right to be exempt from sales tax for crying out loud? That's outrageous.
And also is it any wonder most Americans want to scuttle the UN completely? Then New York can rent the space to givers instead of takers.
Excuse me ... aren't these the same people WHO WERE SCREEMING AT US ABOUT THE LOOTING OF THE MUSEUM ...??
Just Amazing! They are totally AMORAL!!!
I would have a 2nd Battalion : heavily armed, and wearing MP gear, waiting outside with empty busses.
At my command ( seconded of course by most of us here )the troops would go from the top to the bottom of the UN, driving all occupants out at bayonet point.
Once outside, the occupants would be asked to show proof of diplomatic status. Those with DP status would be handcuffed on the spot, and bundled into the busses - after their ID cards were shredded , and they were advised of loss of status, and impending deportation.
The loaded busses would be driven in a heavily guarded convoy to McGuire AFB in NJ ( or Stewart AFB in Newburgh,NY ), where the (former) UN Diplomats would be hustled aboard converted cargo planes, and flown to an appropriate destination ( Belfast ? Mexico City ? Havana ?)
All those who had been "mere employees" at the UN, and who had US citizenship, would be handed the equivalent of one year's wages, and counselled to start looking for honest work. Those who were NOT US citizens, would be deported forthwith to their countries of origin, with the suggestion they seek termination benefits from their home nations.
Once the building had been emptied, cleaned, and de-odorized , it would be turned by SeaBees into the world's fanciest, and best equipped homeless shelter - with a special room reserved for Mayor Bloomberg.
Help me out here, Freepers !
Have I left anything out ?
Meds ! Meds ! Where are my meds ??
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