After Pomona College denied a claim for wrongful termination of dining hall worker and union leader Rolando “Rolo” Arazia, around 30 people gathered outside of Pomona College’s Frary Dining Hall on Monday, Feb. 23, to rally for his reinstatement.
Araiza filed a grievance to contest the administration’s decision to terminate his contract in late January. In a hearing last Friday, the College denied Araiza’s claim, according to Elias Pluecker PO ’28, a member of the Claremont Student Worker Alliance’s (CSWA) Pomona branch. The denial has triggered further legal proceedings involving union arbitration in which a third party elected by the union and the college will make the decision about Araiza’s return.
CSWA organized Monday’s demonstration in response to the administration’s grievance rejection, continuing weeks of lobbying for Araiza’s reinstatement.
Students attending the rally held cardboard signs reading “Re-hire Rolo” and “Rolo Back Now.” The 30-minute demonstration was led by Pluecker, who described Araiza’s labor dispute over recent weeks and urged students to spread the word.
“Please tell your friends, please get your friends to come to our college. This is a very long fight, we’re counting on each and every one of you to stand up, keep fighting for Rolo so we’re able to get his job back,” Pluecker said in his speech at the rally.
Araiza’s termination, which sparked controversy due to his role as a union leader, has been a centerpoint of student activism in recent weeks. Through rallying, students hoped to engage the larger 5C community and further pressure on the administration for change.
“Rolo’s co-workers will not abandon him, the students will not abandon him, and ultimately, it will be the college that folds, as it is every time that this happens, every time, so we’re in it for the long haul, and we’ll do it again,” Sage Santomenna PO ’26 said.
“Rolo’s co-workers will not abandon him, the students will not abandon him,” rally attendee Sage Santomenna PO ’26 said. “And ultimately, it will be the college that folds, as it is every time that this happens, every time, so we’re in it for the long haul, and we’ll do it again.”
Pluecker, who has spearheaded student efforts to reinstate Araiza, said that since the administration affirmed their decision to terminate him last Friday, CSWA has ramped up protest efforts.
“We know this is going to be a long fight, so we just wanted to hold a rally today to try to make sure we can spread the word as best we’re able, and to try to keep people’s energy up,” Pluecker said. “People need to feel strengthened, need to be fortified, need to see that there’s a community with us, around us, who are willing to fight alongside us.”
Several dining hall workers and former co-workers of Araiza joined the crowd on Monday.
“I used to work with Rolo for more than two years,” Pomona dining hall staff member Hamilton Velasquez said. “He is one of my best friends here.”
Velasquez said he feels Araiza was treated unfairly by Pomona’s administration.
“It’s abuse. They abuse their power,” Velasquez said.
Pomona previously denied any correlation between Araiza’s termination and his role as a union organizer, and declined to comment further.
Students who demonstrated said they hope the administration will reassess their decision.
“I hope that Pomona’s reaction is to realize that, yet again, they found themselves on the wrong side of a labor dispute,” Santomenna said.
Santomenna also hopes to see more students participating in efforts to reinstate Araiza.
“We’re incredibly privileged here at the Claremont Colleges,” Santomenna said. “And it’s really on behalf of the students to stand up for someone who’s going through much more, who’s lost their livelihood, has lost their community, all of these things, it is really kind of a small ask for us as students.”
CSWA plans to host a teach-in next Thursday in Pomona’s Walker Lounge to educate students on unions, along with the history of union organizing and student support of unions, specifically at the 5Cs. CSWA plans to continue organizing protests and gatherings to push for Araiza’s reinstatement.
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