Workers March on Durham Food Hall With Demand Letter

Image credit: Union of Southern Service Workers

On Nov. 8, approximately 40 workers and community supporters marched into Durham Food Hall to petition management about workplace grievances. Employees of the venue, working with Durham Hospitality Worker’s Alliance (DHWA) and the Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW) delivered a demand letter to MDO Holdings (text available below this article). Labor action was initially sparked when an ICE recruitment advertisement played in the food hall, but workers then raised other issues such as inhumane heat, sexual harassment, overtime pay and more.

An ICE ad played on an internal TV in Durham Food Hall on Oct. 24. Furious workers picketed in front of the venue, and some vendors closed for several days. In response, MDO Holdings ended its contract with the advertising service, promised trainings on how to interact with ICE, and some vendors offered donations to pro-immigrant charities [1].

The demand letter also calls a public apology for the ad and a statement opposing ICE. However, the letter has seven demands, and only one is about ICE.

The “Safe Workplace” demand calls for proper training and protective equipment for kitchen staff. Workers at the Nov. 8 rally explained that this request stemmed from the high rate of burn and cut injuries in the Durham Food Hall. The “Overtime Pay” section implies that vendors avoid paying workers time-and-a-half for overtime by splitting their hours between different corporate entities, and the letter demands an end to the practice.

The Nov. 8 march began at CCB Plaza and moved down Foster Street to the Durham Food Hall. Dozens of participants entered the packed venue and read the demand letter aloud to someone at Auctioneer Bar. It was not clear if the person was a manager or an employee who was the only person the protesters could find. Given the public spectacle, there is no doubt that MDO Holdings is now aware of the demand letter, which was the main objective.

Afterward, the crowd exited the food hall and listened to speeches on the sidewalk. Durham Food Hall workers Kai Bradley and Lenny made remarks, as did pastor Emily Wilkes and USSW member Nahshon Blount.

Lenny said, “We face sexual harassment, racism, inhumane heat with no air conditioning, leaky ceilings, and more. We only have one bathroom for 60 employees to share. This ICE recruitment ad was the final straw.”

Vendors and workers at Durham Food Hall have raised some concerns about management in the past [2]. However, there wasn't publicly visible labor organizing at the venue until now. During Saturday's event, Durham Food Hall workers did not mention any plans to push for an NLRB election. Instead, they seem focused on working with DHWA and USSW to fix the issues raised in the demand letter.

If workers at the well-known downtown venue can coalesce into a new union, it would be a significant step forward for Durham’s labor movement. Workers from the Duke Graduate Student Union (DGSU) and REI Union Durham attended the Nov. 8 march to show their solidarity. Organized labor in Durham has been active recently. The city’s only unionized Starbucks in Renaissance Center held a practice picket on Oct. 27 as part of Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) preparations for a possible nationwide strike to secure a first contract [3]. On Nov. 8, Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE) launched an organizing drive aimed at four Amazon facilities in the Durham area [4].

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Letter from Durham Food Hall Workers to MDO Holdings

Michael Olander Jr., CEO MDO Holdings and Durham Food Hall Vendors,

We, the undersigned workers at the Durham Food Hall, are standing together to demand a safe workplace free of intimidation and a voice on the job. MDO Holdings and its vendors are profitable because of our hard work, yet we have experienced a pattern of sexual harassment, unsafe working conditions, and intimidation and racism especially towards immigrant workers while at work.

Therefore, we demand:

1. Repair and accountability for the ICE recruitment ad played

   1. Provide ICE raid training including 4th amendment workplace training and no search and seizure training

   2. Issue a public statement taking a stance against ICE

   3. Make a public apology for the harm to workers and chaos caused by the ad

2. A safe workplace

   1. Fully functioning air conditioning to prevent staff health emergencies

   2. Fully staffed, well paid cleaning staff

   3. Proper training and protective equipment for work duties

3. Protections against sexual harassment

   1. Implement a zero-tolerance policy including a no rehire clause

   2. Provide training against sexual harassment in the workplace

   3. Transparency on investigation for parties involved

4. End to racism at Durham Food Hall

   1. Allow patrons to use restrooms regardless of purchase

   2. Zero tolerance policy for overt racist behavior

   3. DEI training for all managers and owners of the Food Hall

5. Provide overtime pay for overtime hours worked within pay period

   1. End splitting hours between LLCs

6. Voice on the job and direct line of communication to MDO holdings

   1. Provide clarity around who makes decisions

7. Immediate end to retaliation against workers for organizing

   1. Pay workers for lost time they were scheduled to work but not allowed to enter Durham Food Hall

MDO Holdings and its vendors have the power to improve our working conditions and ensure that we are able to safely provide for ourselves and our families, however, they have failed to do so. We, the undersigned workers of Durham Food Hall, are united together in these demands with the support of Durham Hospitality Workers Alliance and the Union of Southern Service Workers, SEIU. We are organizing to protect our health and safety and improve our lives and that of our families. We expect a response from MDO Holdings and their vendors one week from today.

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Work Cited

1. Blackmon, C. (2025, October 29). An ICE ad was shown in the Durham Food Hall last week. Where things stand now. Raleigh News & Observer. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article312675700.html

2. A tale of woe inside Durham Food Hall. (2024, May 3). INDY Week. https://indyweek.com/food-and-drink/durham-food-hall-feature/

3. Durham’s only unionized Starbucks holds practice picket. (2025, November 6). Durham Dispatch. https://www.durhamdispatch.com/post/durham-s-only-unionized-starbucks-holds-practice-picket

4. Amazon Union Campaign Expands to Durham. (2026, November 4). Indyweek. https://indyweek.com/news/durham/amazon-union-campaign-expands-to-durham/