HBCU Dining Workers Unionize, Fueling Virginia's Campus Labor Wave

RICHMOND, VA – April 21, 2026 – In a significant victory for labor organizing in Virginia's higher education sector, nearly 250 campus dining workers at two of the state's premier Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have officially unionized. The workers, employed by food service contractor Thompson Hospitality at Virginia State University (VSU) and Norfolk State University (NSU), won voluntary recognition from their employer in late March and will join the ranks of UNITE HERE Local 23.

The successful organizing drive is being hailed not only as a win for the individual workers seeking improved compensation but also as a crucial step forward for racial and economic justice. The move sets the stage for contract negotiations aimed at securing higher wages, affordable healthcare, and retirement benefits.

A Push for Equity and Dignity

The victory resonates deeply within the VSU and NSU communities, where supporters emphasize the significance of the union for its majority-Black workforce. Union leaders and workers have framed the campaign as a direct effort to address systemic pay disparities.

“What’s more, the workforces at VSU and NSU are majority Black, and this victory will bring their compensation up to par with other unionized campus dining workers throughout Virginia, the South, and the nation,” said Marlene Patrick Cooper, President of UNITE HERE Local 23, in a statement. Cooper celebrated the new members, noting the union provides an “opportunity for workers to earn the wages and benefits that match the care they afford to students every day.”

For the workers themselves, the successful union drive is the culmination of a difficult fight for respect and financial stability. Many, like Nikita “Miss Nikki” Whitten, a cook at VSU for four years, have struggled with low wages that make it difficult to cover basic living expenses. Testimonials from campus workers have highlighted pay rates below $20 an hour, even for experienced staff, making it nearly impossible to save or handle unexpected costs.

“I’m proud of the hard work and resilience it took for me and my coworkers to show Thompson Hospitality that, just like workers at all the other union universities, we deserve better wages and excellent healthcare at VSU,” Whitten stated. “I personally can’t wait until the contract so that I can be able to pay my bills and still have some funds left over to go see my family in Louisiana!”

A Rising Tide of Campus Organizing

The unionization at VSU and NSU is not an isolated event but rather the latest success in a surging wave of labor organizing across Virginia's college campuses. Since 2022, UNITE HERE has successfully organized over 1,500 dining workers across the Commonwealth. The new members from VSU and NSU will join their union colleagues at Virginia Commonwealth University, the College of William and Mary, James Madison University, and several other public institutions who have already negotiated contracts with improved pay and benefits.

This trend reflects a national movement within higher education, where campus workers—from dining staff and janitors to graduate assistants and even undergraduate resident advisors—are increasingly turning to collective bargaining. Catalysts for this movement include persistent low pay, the rising cost of living, and a desire for greater job security and a voice in the workplace. Even in a “right-to-work” state like Virginia, where union organizing can face additional hurdles, the momentum appears to be growing.

Organizations like the United Campus Workers of Virginia (UCWVA) have also been instrumental, advocating that collective bargaining leads to tangible improvements. Research cited by such groups suggests that unionized employees typically earn higher wages and have better access to healthcare benefits compared to their non-union counterparts.

Challenging the Subcontracting Model

The success at VSU and NSU also places a spotlight on the business model of subcontracting essential campus services. Universities often outsource operations like dining and facilities management to third-party contractors such as Thompson Hospitality, a large, minority-owned food service provider. While universities may see this as a way to control costs, critics and labor advocates argue it can create a system where workers are left with lower wages and fewer benefits than direct university employees.

UNITE HERE's strategy has proven effective in challenging this model by organizing workers contractor by contractor, campus by campus. Thompson Hospitality has a history with unionization efforts, including a successful drive by workers at Chicago State University who joined UNITE HERE Local 1 in 2012. The company's voluntary recognition of the union at VSU and NSU is being viewed by labor organizers as a key precedent.

With contract negotiations on the horizon, the union aims to secure a pension plan that allows long-term employees to “retire with dignity,” a key demand for a workforce where some have served for decades with little to show in retirement savings.

The Ripple Effect Spreads

The victory at VSU and NSU is already inspiring others. Following the announcement, dining workers at another prominent Virginia HBCU, Hampton University, have publicly called on their employer—also Thompson Hospitality—to grant them the same fair process for union recognition. This development suggests a potential domino effect, as successes at one campus empower workers at others to demand similar rights.

The organizing efforts have garnered significant support from students, who see the dining hall staff as integral members of their campus community. At VSU, students have been vocal in their support, arguing that the university “wouldn’t run” without these workers and that they deserve a living wage.

As the newly unionized workers at Virginia State and Norfolk State prepare to bargain for their first contract, the eyes of many in Virginia's higher education and labor communities will be watching. Their fight is now seen as part of a larger struggle for economic justice that is steadily reshaping the landscape of campus labor across the state.