School contractor faces fire at hearing
Source: By Jameel Naqvi, Daily Herald (IL), 3/28/2008
Aramark, the contractor that cleans and feeds dozens of suburban schools, was in the hot seat Thursday.
The Illinois House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee held a hearing in Chicago on a litany of complaints against Aramark from workers, parents and union officials.
The Philadelphia-based company did not attend the hearing -- missing a chance to respond to a nationwide campaign to unionize Aramark workers and expose the firm's alleged abuses.
....... Thursday's hearing focused on a report released this month by the Service Employees' International Union, which is trying to add 100,000 Aramark workers nationwide to its membership rolls and 2,000 in the Chicago area alone.
...... The report, titled "Failing Grade: How Outsourcing Vital School Services to Aramark Corp. is Shortchanging Illinois Kids," alleges Aramark pays low wages, provides few benefits and does not adequately clean schools or feed suburban schoolchildren.