The Student Association Congress voted unanimously to pass a resolution recommending improvements to campus dining on Tuesday.

The bill, titled “Resolution to Modernize On-Campus Dining,” demands various reforms like expanded hours at kosher and halal stations, greater transparency around allergens in food, replacement of single-use plastics with compostable options and union protections for dining hall workers.

All food service on campus is operated by BU Dining Services, which has partnered with Sodexo for the past 40 years. The current contract, signed in 2014, is up for renewal this year.

The resolution also calls on Binghamton University to make several changes to dining policy in the next contract, like equal starting wages for student and nonstudent workers and implementing meal swipes instead of the current a la carte system.

“The reason that Sodexo has suddenly, magically made a big marketing push and added more things to their service is because, right now, they feel threatened by us,” said Hatim Husainy, an SA Congress representative for Hillside and a sophomore majoring in political science. “We fund them with our $6,000 a year, almost a full $1,000 more than most other SUNYs pay for a less good product than what they give to the other SUNYs. So this is a start, and I think it’s important to keep in mind that we are not dealing with a mom-and-pop shop. Sodexo is a multinational corporation, and we don’t need to treat them with kid gloves.”

According to a spokesperson, the University has received four proposals for this year’s contract, as opposed to only one during the 2014 bid.

Included in the resolution was a demand to have both halal and kosher stations available during late-night service. Currently, the University’s sole kosher-specific station is located in Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center and is only open for lunch and dinner from Sunday through Thursday, closing on Friday nights and Saturdays.

The University spokesperson added that last semester, the University hired a third-party consultant to conduct a student survey and lead focus groups about ways to improve the dining halls. Over 1,800 students participated in the survey, citing a desire for healthier food options, meal plan setup and greater accessibility for those who are kosher- or halal-observant.

“Over the next few months, the campus, including student leaders, will evaluate the proposals and then final contract terms will be negotiated with the preferred vendor,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Pipe Dream. “We are confident that the outcome of this multiyear process and strategy will be a much-improved campus dining experience for our students.”

The resolution also requests that the University be in “active cooperation” with the Broome County Health Department and swiftly address any health code violations or concerns. Data published by the Press & Sun-Bulletin revealed numerous “critical” and “noncritical” health code violations [HYPERLINK: https://www.bupipedream.com/news/auto-draft-1673/172425/] at several campus dining halls and at the MarketPlace.

The University’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America has also advocated for dining hall reform. In March, the YDSA held a town hall [HYPERLINK: https://www.bupipedream.com/news/students-share-dining-related-grievances-during-town-hall/164802/] about campus dining and released a petition with similar demands to those in the SA resolution, like the implementation of meal swipes, a livable wage for workers, updated health and safety standards and increased availability of kosher and halal stations.

The next step for the resolution will be the creation of a subcommittee of SA representatives who will begin meeting with BUDS to propose this framework and work on implementation.

“I think it’s going to go well,” Jeremy Marcus, the author of the resolution and a junior double-majoring in political science and economics, said in an interview with Pipe Dream. “I’m very optimistic. I think Sodexo is starting to loosen up a bit, and I think they understand how drastic of an issue dining has become at this school. And they don’t want that reputation, so they want to work with us. So I think it’s not going to be smooth, right, but I don’t think it’s going to be an impossible, uphill challenge.”

Editor’s Note: Jeremy Marcus, who authored the resolution, was a former News writer for Pipe Dream. He had no part in the writing or editing of this article.