University Police took action to bar a group of protesters from entering the Danna Center April 23.

Patrick Bailey, director of theLoyola University Police Department said the reason protestors were blocked from entering was because of a disruption earlier that day.

“Unannounced, the protesters had grossly disrupted the regular and essential operation of the university, specifically in the Danna Center, by marching in a very large group throughout the Danna Center, beating on buckets, shouting in loud voices and likely providing an atmosphere of intimidation to those who provide and utilize the services there,” Bailey said.

Bailey said he witnessed the event first-hand along with several other officers on duty. The decision to place security around the Danna Center was made by Paul Fleming, the Assistant vice president for Administration.

According to Fleming, protestors were confronted during their demonstration in the Danna Center, but refused to talk to police.

The protesters were identified by the purple pro-union shirts they were wearing and, for some, by lack of campus identification.

The group consisted of around fifty students from Loyola and Tulane, Sodexo workers and outside supporters.

According to sociology senior Jamie Broussard and one of the students involved in the protest, the movement had no plans on returning to Loyola after the initial march until they heard security around the Danna center had been increased. “We specifically went to the Danna Center to see if they’d let us in,” she said.

The action taken by Loyola to block the protesters from the Danna Center met controversy from the group. “We feel that we, as students, were violated in our right to enter the Danna Center,” Broussard said.

Some students not involved in the protest disagreed with the increased security.

Sociology sophomore Phuongquynh Tran said, “I feel like I’m being treated like a criminal just having my ID checked. I’m a student here. I should be able to walk across campus and I think what they’re doing to these students is completely ludicrous.”

The protesters’ message didn’t reach every student that day though. Sociology freshman Joseph Mckenzie said, ‘There’s a protest going on? I had no idea.”

Some of the protesters also believe the University had other motives for barring them from the Danna Center. “I think that they don’t want their workers to see a pro-union message,” Carson said.

The University has remained neutral on the issue of Sodexo employees unionizing. University President the Rev. Kevin Wildes S.J. said “My position has been and remains that if they want to unionize they’re free to do that.”

The protester’s demanded a new campus labor code of conduct that would further protect workers from intimidation and open the campus to representatives of labor organizations to speak to workers.

The group’s immediate concern was gaining “first right of recall” for all Sodexo employees according to sociology senior Chad Carson, and one of the student protesters.

“The workers are concerned that pro-union workers will be laid off and not rehired,” he said.

The University is currently taking measures to ensure fair practices from all its vendors. A new committee is being put together to look over existing policies for how the university deals with its vendors according to Wildes.

“I want to pull together what we already have, look at it, analyze it, but also look for where there are weaknesses and develop it,” he said.

The university plans to let students finish the semester without any more interruptions according to Wildes. “We’re in exams, I’m not going to let things get disrupted. We’re doing the primary work that we’re here to do,” he said.

Loyola students involved in the protest feel they were successful even though they were kept out of the Danna Center. “The workers were on strike and that in itself is a big statement to Sodexo management and the administration,” Broussard said.

Sam Winstrom can be reached at [email protected]

Friday April 23, 2010 LUPD officers required all students to show photo identification before entering the Danna Center. (Elle Maloney/Photo Editor)