Ellington

The UW announced today that ARAMARK is its choice for a food vendor at athletic events.

The change in vendors means the end of the UW’s contract with Sodexo, which was the subject of multiple protests during spring quarter held by students at the UW .

The UW Kick Out Sodexo Coalition requested the UW cut its contract with Sodexo, citing workers’ rights allegations in Human Rights Watch and TransAfrica Forum reports. Students with the coalition were arrested for trespassing after staging sit-ins in Gerberding Hall, Graves Hall, and Schmitz Hall.

Morgan Currier, an organizer with the UW United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) and the UW Kick Out Sodexo Coalition, said this is a big victory for students.

“It was the reason that Sodexo is out,” Currier said. “The work that we’ve been doing over the past year or so … is being celebrated today. It just goes to show the tangible results of student action on campus.”

The UW administration formed a Sodexo Due Diligence Working Group to investigate claims of workers’ rights violations by the concessions provider, which released its final report in October, finding little evidence of the alleged labor violations.

Currier said that she and other members of the Kick Out Sodexo Coalition met with UW President Michael Young recently and expressed their concerns about the report.

Norm Arkans, UW associate vice president of media relations and communications, said the student efforts led to the addition of a corporate responsibility criterion to the request for proposals, but didn’t have an effect on the decision. He said finances were an important factor in the decision.

“This is the best business opportunity for the Athletic Department,” he said.

The contract with ARAMARJK will cover food concessions at all sporting events, including football games in the new Husky Stadium.

If approved, the five-year contract will begin July 1, 2012.

Reach reporter Sarah Schweppe at news@dailyuw.com.