With Binghamton University transitioning to a new dining service provider, some food service workers are facing uncertainty regarding their employment status.

On Feb. 26, according to New York’s Department of Labor, Sodexo at Binghamton University released a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification to 698 individuals informing them that the company will no longer employ people at the University after May 31. This development came one week after the University announced it would not renew its contract with Sodexo, instead opting for a new 10-year contract with Chartwells Higher Education beginning June 1.

Pipe Dream obtained a physical copy of the WARN letter sent to an employee, which read that Sodexo would sever their employment if they did not obtain another position within the company by the end of May. A Sodexo spokesperson told Pipe Dream, however, that Chartwells could rehire these workers “at their discretion.” University officials reported to Spectrum News that Chartwells will rehire a “majority” of affected employees in August.

These officials added that these Sodexo workers are usually laid off in May and are rehired before the start of the next academic year.

Under the WARN Act, most employers with over 100 workers are generally required to post notices 60 days ahead of planned closings or mass layoffs.

The Sodexo spokesperson added that some employees have already secured employment elsewhere in Sodexo or at other companies.

According to the WARN letter, employees may be eligible for resources such as job retraining or employment assistance. After their last day of employment, workers might also be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.

A Chartwells representative said in a statement that “all dining associates will be provided the opportunity to join the Chartwells team with pay and benefits equal to, if not better than, what they receive today.”

Over the past year, some students have pushed for dining reform. The University’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America organized two town halls last year to discuss student concerns with dining and push for reforms like expanding kosher and halal food options, implementing a meal-swipe system and enforcing union protections for dining hall workers.

All four campus dining halls were hit with numerous health code violations over the past five years.

Sodexo has also faced allegations of intimidating workers trying to unionize students, with the company sending a memorandum to student workers about their right to join a union in January 2025.

One section of the memorandum warned that the United Professional Service Employees Union Local 1222 would be given power “to tell Sodexo to terminate you from employment with Sodexo if you fail to pay the required Union dues/fees.” A labor relations representative said he believed the company was trying to intimidate students and discourage unionization.

A Sodexo district manager told Pipe Dream at the time that the company “fully respects the decision students make regarding union representation.”

“We are proud of the industry‑leading service and high standards delivered throughout our 40‑year tenure as Binghamton University’s dining provider,” a Sodexo spokesperson wrote to Pipe Dream. “While Sodexo was not retained, we leave a strong legacy of modernization, innovation, and community impact from advancing digital transformation in campus dining to elevating the culinary experience with creative, chef‑forward concepts. Over four decades, Sodexo contributed more than $1 million in scholarships, including the longstanding Paul Kerns Memorial Scholarship, and donated over 100,000 pounds of food to campus food banks and CHOW.”