UMD Students Press For Action On Daycon

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Student activists called on University of Maryland President Wallace Loh last week to tell school contractor Daycon to abide by a federal judge’s order to rehire 55 employees it fired when they went on strike in April. About a dozen members of Feminism Without Borders entered the president's office around noon Thursday to hand deliver a letter demanding Loh take a stance on Daycon, either writing to the company or making a public statement that if the company contests the ruling, the university will terminate its contract with them. Loh was not in the office, so the student activists approached him later that night in Stamp Student Union. Loh told the students he would respond to their letter as soon as possible, saying "We do want to have social justice and fair working conditions for all our contracted employees." But student leaders fear that if the administration does not announce its position on Daycon soon, the employees may once again be put out of work by next week at the earliest. - includes reporting by Leah Villanueva in the UMD Diamondback; click here for the complete report. - photo: striking Daycon workers are seen walking the picket line in Upper Marlboro in May 2010; photo by Adam Wright