LOS ANGELES _ A Democratic presidential debate at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles is back on track after a labor dispute there was ended Tuesday morning.
The televised debate, set for Thursday, had been in peril since last week, when Democratic presidential candidates announced they were would boycott the event because a labor union was planning to picket on debate night. The dispute was between Sodexo, a food services contractor on the private university's Westside campus, and Unite Here Local 11, which represents about 150 campus employees.
Unite Here Local 11 said the food services workers had reached a tentative agreement for a three-year contract with Sodexo for "a 25% increase in compensation, a 50% drop in healthcare costs, and increases (in) workers' job security." Sodexo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The union credited Democratic National Committee Chairman and former U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez for helping end the dispute.
"Every worker deserves fair wages and benefits," Perez said in a statement. "That's why I was proud to help bring all stakeholders to the table, including Unite Here Local 11, Sodexo and Loyola Marymount University to reach a deal that meets their needs and supports workers."
