CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Virginia State University's (VSU) dining service workers want to form a union, hoping they'll be able to fight for better pay and better treatment. On Monday, March 23 they formally asked for a fair process from the management company that the university contracts for food services, and for support from university leadership. Nikita Whitten, or "Miss Nikki," has worked at VSU for four years, and is now the lead cook at Gateway Hall. "I love this school," Whitten said. "I love the kids here. And that's my main reason, goal, is feeding these kids." Her employer is Thompson Hospitality, the subcontracted campus food service provider. Whitten said under their management, the dining halls are understaffed. She said the staff they do have is overworked, and underpaid. Whitten herself makes less than $20 an hour, and can't even afford a car to get to work everyday. Those conditions are why around 150 dining employees have come together to form a union. "It's time for a change, for me, my coworkers," Whitten said. "Because sometimes you go home, you detrimentally tired, you know? You don't want to do anything." The group has asked Thompson Hospitality for a fair and neutral process to unionize. On Monday they asked university leadership for their support. In past years, dining workers at other Virginia universities have successfully unionized. Rosalyn Carter is a part of a union at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). "We got together and we formed our union. When we did that, everything changed," Carter said. "We have good, good health insurance. Now we can finally get paid and see some of that check on the next paycheck." Carter came to VSU to support the workers there and their demands. She said she's hopeful the workers at VSU will get the same improvements. "When you get together, strength in numbers, it changes things," Carter said. "[The employees'] stories are the same and they get treated the same way. And that bothers me." 8News reached out to Thompson Hospitality and VSU for interviews about the VSU employees' claims and whether they'll support the union. Neither has responded at the time of reporting. ...read more read less