Low-Wage Workers Air Concerns About Unfair Two-Tier Economy at Annual Meeting of...

Low-Wage Workers Air Concerns About Unfair Two-Tier Economy at Annual Meeting
of Wall Street Powerhouse Goldman Sachs

National Tour Probing Impact of Food Service Giant Aramark on America's
Communities Culminates in New York City

NEW YORK, April 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Four Aramark workers are raising
concerns about fairness in America's emerging two-tier economy today at the
annual shareholder meeting of Goldman Sachs, which holds a private equity
stake in the food service giant. In a fitting end to a national tour that
began April 3 in Houston -- where Aramark workers struggle to make ends meet
on as little as $6.30 an hour -- the touring workers are joining with striking
Aramark workers from Bank of New York Cafeterias to call on Wall Street
powerhouse Goldman Sachs to help hold Aramark accountable to the nation's
communities. Goldman Sachs, which paid its two co-presidents $67.5 million
each in total compensation last year, is among the major financial
institutions recently criticized for paying out lavish bonuses and
compensation packages despite major write-downs in 2007.

"I'm asking Goldman Sachs executives if they could live on $6.30 an hour,"
says Vernita Murdock, a worker from Houston. "Because I'm pretty sure that I
could figure out a way to live on $67.5 million a year."

At a time when Americans consistently cite economic woes at the forefront of
their concerns, Aramark stands out as a corporate icon for the economic
changes stinging millions of workers and their communities. Aramark CEO Joseph
Neubauer, along with four private equity firms including GS Capital Partners,
took Aramark private in a 2007 buyout that increased Neubauer's stock holdings
in value to almost $1 billion. Meanwhile, the country continues to experience
an explosion of low-wage, no-benefit service sector jobs such as those
provided by Aramark:

-- The nation's service sector now accounts for 80 percent of U.S. economic
activity.
-- Aramark and its competitors employ more workers in North America than the
"Big 3" automobile manufacturers combined.
-- Employment in the food service sector is expected to reach 2.9 million
people by 2016.

Since March 4, Aramark workers who work in the cafeteria of the Bank of New
York have been on strike fighting for a better future. With a growing number
of communities nationwide raising concerns about the business and workplace
practices of Aramark, the touring workers met with Aramark stakeholders in
Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York to discuss common concerns such as
food safety, nutrition, fiscal integrity, and the need for good jobs with
health care at the thousands of schools, universities, hospitals, nursing
homes, stadiums, convention centers, recreational venues, correctional
facilities, and companies where Aramark provides food and cleaning services
nationwide.

Aramark workers are seeking to form unions with SEIU and UNITE-HERE to ensure
Aramark provides quality jobs and services to the communities that generate
the company's income -- more than $12.4 billion last year alone.

For more information, visit FactsOnAramark.info.

CONTACT: Kevin O'Donnell
312-401-7598

SOURCE Service Employees International Union

Kevin O'Donnell of Service Employees International Union, +1-312-401-7598