District to dump its food services / School workers could run meal program
Source: BY CHASTITY PRATT DAWSEY, Detroit FREE PRESS (MI), May 9, 2008
The food program provided to Detroit Public Schools students could soon be served, as well as managed, by school employees.
The Detroit Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday night to allow the contract with Philadelphia-based Aramark Educational Services, LLC to expire on June 30. Aramark has managed the $44-million food-services operation since 2001.
....... The vote came after at least a year of lobbying and protests staged by union employees who argued that DPS employees could do a better and cheaper job of running the food services.
..... Aramark President Dennis Maple wrote in a May 6 letter to Calloway that DPS should stick with his company. He also offered to work under contract to help transition to in-house management by employees.