Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef's May 3 brown bag chat was canceled when food service workers interrupted the quarterly discussion on campus issues and then refused to allow the chancellor to continue.

About 20 sign-carrying Sodexho workers arrived minutes before the meeting began, taking positions near Vanderhoef in the front of the Silo's Cabernet Room. At brown bag talks, which are open to the campus community, the chancellor typically gives an update on university issues and answers questions from the audience.

But this meeting never got under way, due to shouts and chants by the Sodexho workers, who demanded an immediate meeting with Vanderhoef on their employment issues. Sodexho, a private company contracted by UC Davis to run dining hall services, employs about 500 food workers on campus.

Dennis Shimek, associate vice chancelor of Human Resources, repeatedly asked the group to take their seats so the meeting could begin. He told them their issue would be addressed during the chat, and he offered to meet with the group at another time on their concerns, which include university job status, health care benefits, paid holidays, guaranteed raises and a union contract.

"We're not leaving until you talk to us," said Arooj Ahmad, a food service worker and recent UC Davis graduate.

With none of the workers sitting down and the decibel level rising, university officials canceled the meeting less than 10 minutes after it started. A campus police officer escorted the chancellor out the back door, and eventually the workers' group left the room peacefully.

Later that afternoon, Vanderhoef issued a statement regarding the brown bag chat.

"I'm disappointed that a group of students and AFSCME organizers would not permit today's brown bag update to proceed," wrote Vanderhoef. (AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, is a public employees' union.)

Vanderhoef pointed out that, had he been allowed to talk, he would have addressed the benefits and compensation issues the food service workers raised.

"For years, these quarterly conversations with faculty, staff and students have been opportunities for open and respectful exchange of perspectives, for dialogue guided by our Principles of Community. That changed today," he wrote.

In the past, the chancellor said, Sodexho has been responsive to university requests for the company to provide wage adjustments for lower-paid career employees.

"We are having discussions now with Sodexho about equitable health care coverage and about wages generally" Vanderhoef said.

Vanderhoef's memo also addressed other pressing issues facing the campus — the state budget outlook, campus safety in the wake of Virginia Tech, and anti-immigrant actions on campus.

On the budget, Vanderhoef said he is optimistic that the governor's compact with UC will be upheld in the May budget revision and that academic preparation funds will be restored. The compact calls for increased funding for faculty and staff compensation and funding for enrollment growth of 5,000 students systemwide.

In light of the Virginia Tech tragedy, Vanderhoef noted UC Davis' preparedness for such a circumstance and that a UC Campus Security Task Force has been convened to study how the 10 UC campuses can improve their security, notification processes and mental health services. He also urged campus community members to visit a special Web page on this issue — www.ucdavis.edu/spotlight/0407/virginia_tech_main.html.

'Clearly disrespectful'

Finally, Vanderhoef deplored a May 1 incident when some students attempted to counter-protest other campus rallies that day by playing a so-called Illegal Immigration Capture the Flag game.

"In my view, it was clearly disrespectful, especially with the La Raza Cultural Days activities occurring in that same space. And it violated our Principles of Community," the chancellor wrote.

The next chancellor's brown bag is scheduled for the fall quarter.

To read the chancellor's entire statement, go to www.ucdavis.edu.