AFSCME Privatization Update

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.

Posted by Info Center at 11:13 AM in Food Services | Publicization | Schools K-12 | Victories | Permalink
Tags: Michigan

Source: Daniel Hall, The Public Manager (subscription req.), Spring 2008

Contracting professionals must ensure that the federal government receives the best value for the taxpayer dollar while following acquisition regulations during procurement and contract management. Without a large influx of new workers, federal government contract processes could be severely impaired as the number and complexity of procurements increase. From 1991 to 2005, the number of contracting officers declined from thirty-seven thousand to twenty-eight thousand while procurement spending increased from $150 billion to $350 billion.

The large number soon eligible to retire and the marked increase in those less experienced give the field a lopsided demographic. Those in the middle of their career are woefully few. Young professionals, therefore, have an opportunity to replace those who are retiring and become leaders in the contracting field. To do so, they must quickly garner an institutional education, learning from others in the field to avoid the gaps in knowledge that will cost the taxpayer.

To inform young contracting professionals, this article reflects on the legal regimen of the procurement of food and beverages, with emphasis on conferences. It also discusses the state of the meeting industry and how this can influence rates, as well as negotiation techniques to ensure fair and reasonable pricing.

Posted by Info Center at 3:26 PM in Federal | Food Services | Permalink

Source: Jennifer Mrozowski, The Detroit News, Saturday, May 3, 2008

The Detroit Public Schools board on Thursday will consider a recommendation to boot the private company that has run its food services operation since 2001, a move being championed by some parents and cafeteria workers who have criticized the Philadelphia-based firm.

A school board subcommittee voted 3-0 on Thursday to recommend giving Aramark Educational Services LLC a 60-day termination notice as of July 1, said school board President Carla Scott.

......... Criticism of the $40 million food services operation has ramped up in recent months, with some union groups and parents holding rallies at the district's headquarters calling for termination of the contract. A union group earlier this year released a study claiming that Aramark mismanaged the district's cafeterias and kept more than $1 million in savings that should have been returned to the system.

Posted by Info Center at 11:01 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink
Tags: Michigan

Source: By Elizabeth Benton, New Haven Register (CT), Sat, Apr 19, 2008

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has begun a probe of beleaguered school lunch provider Aramark Corp., citing concerns about "reports of deficient food quality and service" and inappropriate handling of food rebates and discounts. In a Friday letter to Aramark General Counsel Bart Colli, Blumenthal "strongly urged" Aramark to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by local unions, and requested Aramark provide similar information to his office by April 28.

...... Aramark is fighting a Freedom of Information Act request for Aramark's financial records from the Service Employees International Union, which claims the company has run deficits in its food service programs nationwide.

Posted by Info Center at 3:39 PM in Food Services | Horror Stories | Schools K-12 | Permalink
Tags: Connecticut

Source: AFL-CIO blog, April 25, 2008

Kevin Christensen, lead researcher in the AFL-CIO Center for Strategic Research, writes about a great victory for food service workers and custodians with AFSCME at the University of California-Davis.

AFSCME Local 3299 has won a four-year fight to end outsourcing of food service work in the 10-campus University of California (UC) system, after UC-Davis announced last week that nearly 200 workers currently employed by Sodexho will be eligible to apply for university employment, and so become AFSCME members.

Related article from the Sacramento News Review: On the payroll

Posted by Info Center at 11:47 AM in Food Services | Higher Education | Victories | Permalink
Tags: California

Source: by Allan Appel, New Haven Independent (CT), April 29, 2008

New Haven's public schools are moving toward managing their own kitchens. The surprise announcement came during a briefing by Chief Operating Officer Will Clark at the Board of Education's (BOE) monthly meeting Monday.

...... Larry Dorman, a spokesman for AFSCME Council 4 local 287, representing the custodians and local 3144, which represents facilities supervisors at the schools, said Aramark's ejection from the food business is "only half the equation. We need to see them expelled from the facilities maintenance as well."

Posted by Info Center at 11:43 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Victories | Permalink
Tags: Connecticut

Source: Crookston Times (MN), Friday, April 4, 2008 1:16 PM

...... The proposed 10-year contract with Sodexo meets the University's high standards for quality, choice, service and responsibility and provides the best value and best financial benefit for the University and students, faculty and staff.

Key terms include employee stability and financial investments and commitments. Members of AFSCME and Teamster unions remain University of Minnesota employees at their current salary and benefit level and report to Sodexo management. Current on-site management will also continue employment and be employed by Sodexo.

Posted by Info Center at 3:46 PM in Food Services | Higher Education | Permalink
Tags: Minnesota

Source: by Greg Barr, Houston Business Journal, Monday, April 7, 2008 - 1:18 PM CDT

The unions seeking to organize Aramark Corp. food service employees in Houston and other cities nationwide launched a Web site Monday offering fans a chance to beef about the quality of food at sports stadiums.

The site (www.AramarkStrikesOut.info) is sponsored by the Campaign for Quality Services, a joint project of the Service Employees International Union and Unite-Here.

Posted by Info Center at 3:44 PM in Food Services | Permalink

Source: Service Employees International Union news release, Thu, Apr. 03, 2008

With a growing number of communities nationwide raising concerns about the business and workplace practices of food service giant Aramark, four current and former Aramark employees are launching a national tour today to learn more about the corporation's impact on America's communities. The workers -- janitors and food service workers -- will travel coast-to-coast to meet with parents, community leaders, and fellow Aramark workers in cities including Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

For more information, visit FactsOnAramark.info

Posted by Info Center at 2:56 PM in Custodial | Food Services | Permalink

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.

Posted by Info Center at 11:09 AM in Custodial | Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink
Tags: Illinois

Source: Samantha Broussard-Wilson, Yale Daily News (CT), Thursday, March 27, 2008

After last week's emotionally charged public hearing before the Board of Aldermen -- which was attended by over 200 public-school cooks, custodians, teachers, parents and students -- Aramark may soon be leaving town. But the company isn't going without a fight.

...... Larry Dorman, a spokesman for the Local 287 division of Council 4, said the most efficient and effective model the city could adopt would be a self-managed model rather than an outside-contractor setup. "We think the mayor and the aldermen really need to look hard at why the city has spent millions of dollars with an outside contractor to essentially act as an incompetent middle man," Dorman said.

Posted by Info Center at 2:39 PM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink
Tags: Connecticut

Source: By Amanda McGregor, Salem News (MA), March 24, 2008 11:41 pm

More than a dozen school cafeteria workers -- many wearing green AFSCME union T-shirts with gold lettering -- gathered at last night's School Committee meeting and said they worry for their jobs if the school lunch program is privatized.

...... Food service workers say a private company would pay less. They said they currently make roughly $15 an hour.

...... Aramark, Whitsons and Chartwells (Compass Group) were the three companies to submit proposals.

Posted by Info Center at 11:14 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink
Tags: Massachusetts

Source: Lisa Roose-Church, Lansing State Journal (MI), March 24, 2008

...... The Howell Public Schools Board of Education is being asked today to discuss teacher layoffs, as well as privatizing its 50 food-service employees, much as it did the child-care aides.

...... If privatized, the food-service group would most likely become employees of a third-party contractor, Caledonia-based Professional Educational Services Group, which holds the contract for three of the district's administrators and 35 child-care aides, Parrish said.

Posted by Info Center at 2:49 PM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink
Tags: Michigan

Source: By Maria Garriga, New Haven Register (CT), Wed, Mar 19, 2008

Aramark Corp. took a beating Tuesday at a public hearing held by the Board of Aldermen's finance committee. Between 120 to 130 people crowded into the aldermanic chambers for a public excoriation of the food and custodial service management company for its food, service and repeated fiscal deficits in running school programs.

..... Janitors criticized Aramark over inadequate staffing, defective equipment and ignoring employee concerns. "Things don't get fixed," said Robert Montuori, president of Council 4 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 287.

Related articles:
New Haven Independent: Chicken -- & Company -- Blasted / They came to bash Aramark, which was missing in action.

Posted by Info Center at 11:02 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink
Tags: Connecticut

Source: By Al Sullivan, Hudson Reporter (NJ), 03/20/2008

Prompted by members from two unions, Hudson County Freeholders agreed at a recent meeting to look into possibly re-bidding a contract to supply food services to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.

Aramark, the nation's largest food service contractor, currently supplies the service.

Members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and UNITE-HERE Union told freeholders at the Feb. 24 meeting that the county was paying significantly more than nearby New Jersey counties for the same services.

"Why is Aramark charging Hudson County taxpayers more for its jail food service than it's charging taxpayers in Essex and Union counties?" asked Kevin Brown, Local 32BJ New Jersey director. "The food is the same, the work is the same, so why the price difference?"

Posted by Info Center at 10:51 AM in Corrections | Food Services | Permalink
Tags: New Jersey

Source: BY KEVIN DUGGAN, Coloradoan, March 15, 2008

Improperly handled chili was behind a food-poisoning outbreak at the Alternative Sentencing Unit of the Larimer County jail last month that left 31 inmates ill, according to the county health department.

...... The on-site manager of Aramark, the contractor for food service at the jail, has been replaced, Maj. James Wacker said. A deputy also has been assigned to spot-check the kitchen to make sure proper procedures are being followed.

Posted by Info Center at 2:06 PM in Corrections | Food Services | Permalink
Tags: Colorado

Source: New York Times DealBook blog, March 6, 2008, 8:06 am

Hundreds of cafeteria and other food-service workers rallied in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon for higher wages and improved benefits as part of an ongoing battle between Aramark and the union Unite Here, which represents about 20,000 Aramark employees, including about 4,000 in the New York region.

Posted by Info Center at 3:16 PM in Food Services | Permalink
Tags: New York

Source: AM Online (MI), 02/29/2008

Detroit, Mich. public school officials are investigating Aramark's food service management contract, according to The Detroit Free Press. The district could be forced to pay penalties to the state if it is found to have used federal money that by law was not supposed to be paid to Aramark, said Barry Sackin, a consultant and former vice president of public policy for the School Nutrition Association in Alexandria, Va.

Posted by Info Center at 3:11 PM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink
Tags: Michigan

Source: BY DOMINICK TAO, Miami Herald (FL), Sat, Feb. 16, 2008

Sweat dripping from his brow, union representative Bruce Raynor promised a crowd nearing 100, including two state lawmakers, that he wouldn't rest until food service provider Aramark is stripped of its contract with the Florida Department of Corrections.

At the sidewalk rally outside downtown Miami government buildings Friday, Raynor, the president of the Unite Here union that represents more than 20,000 Aramark employees nationwide, accused the company of collecting millions of dollars of taxpayer money by charging for meals that were never served and using substandard ingredients in food preparation.

Posted by Info Center at 2:35 PM in Corrections | Food Services | Permalink
Tags: Florida

Source: Samantha Broussard-Wilson, Yale Daily News (CT), Friday, February 1, 2008

Aramark, the food-services company formerly employed by Yale University Dining Services, is now facing allegations of mismanagement and poor food quality from cafeteria workers and custodians in New Haven Public Schools.

...... The rally is being organized by UNITE HERE, a union that includes hotel, restaurant and some cafeteria employees and is affiliated with the Federation of Hospital and University Employees, the union for service workers at Yale. Council 4 and Service Employees International Union, both custodial-worker unions, are also involved in the organizing the rally.

...... The Local 287 division of Council 4 had almost 100 percent of its membership sign a petition calling for the Board of Education to fire Aramark, said Larry Dorman, a Council 4 spokesman.

Posted by Info Center at 11:22 AM in Custodial | Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink
Tags: Connecticut

Source: The Campaign for Quality Services, a project of SEIU and UNITE-HERE

Across the country, more than 50,000 food service workers in cafeterias are united as members of SEIU and UNITE-HERE. FactsOnAramark.info was launched to help inform the public about a troubling record of problems with Aramark accounts that is undermining progress toward higher standards in the food service industry.

Posted by Info Center at 3:07 PM in Food Services | Websites/databases | Permalink

By Diane Bukowski, Special to The Michigan Citizen, January 27, 2008

DETROIT -- Dozens of demonstrators braved chilling winds outside the Detroit Public Schools Welcome Center Jan. 18 to kick off a national campaign aimed at dumping Aramark contracts at school districts, universities and hospitals.

Members of the community, including DPS parents and state legislators, along with the unions UNITE/HERE, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Operating Engineers Local 547, Teamsters Council 43, and the Detroit Federation of Teachers, among others, called on the new school board and DPS Superintendent Connie Calloway to cut ties with Aramark.

Posted by Info Center at 1:06 PM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink
Tags: Michigan

Source: By: MADELINE MCCURRY SCHMIDT, California Aggie, 1/28/08

A delegation of six Sodexho workers met at Mrak Hall on Friday to speak to Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef regarding the demands of Sodexho food service workers to become university employees. Vanderhoef was out of the office, so the Sodexho employees spoke with assistant executive vice chancellor Bob Loessberg-Zahl to ask for the higher wages and better benefits that they hoped would come with university employment.

........ Sodexho is the food service contractor that provides service to the dining commons, retail food service and catering service at UC Davis.

The six Sodexho workers were joined by two organizers from the union of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Max Alper, an organizer of the group, said the food-service employees are directly employed by the University of California on all other UC campuses except for UC Davis.

Posted by Info Center at 1:02 PM in Food Services | Higher Education | Permalink
Tags: California

Source: By Emily Yehle, Roll Call (subscription req.), January 14, 2008

A new cafeteria vendor has sparked a dispute over wages and job security at the Library of Congress, with the cafeteria workers' union claiming that the company wants to decrease pay and fire employees. I.L. Creations took over the Library's cafeteria services only two weeks ago, stepping in after negotiations fell through between the Library and a long-standing food vendor.

Company President Steve Choi says he has no intention to change any pay or benefits employees enjoyed under the previous vendor, Sodexho. But he also has not signed an agreement to keep those wages and benefits, nor has he sat down with the union to hammer out new terms. Now, he stands accused of "union busting" by the cafeteria workers' union

....... At the Library, the union has some support. The LOC Professional Guild, a separate union for Library employees, criticized the Library for its choice in a vendor. "We are dismayed that the Library would continue with a business that would refuse to sign an agreement with a union," said Saul Schniderman, the guild's president. "When a government agency like the Library of Congress acts like this, it sends a message."

Posted by Info Center at 10:22 AM in Food Services | Library | Permalink
Tags: District of Columbia

Source: By MATT HANLEY, Courier News (IL), January 5, 2008

Three Kane County jail inmates, including a Carpentersville man, have filed suit claiming they are not getting proper nutritional value from their meals.

Michael Nance, Devalius McDonald and Deandre Clemons filed the civil suit in Kane County court this week against County Sheriff Pat Perez and the jail's food service provider. The suit claims the food provided by Aramark Food Service is "not sufficient."

Posted by Info Center at 11:29 AM in Corrections | Food Services | Permalink
Tags: Illinois

Source: By: PATRICK McCARTNEY, California Aggie 10/29/07

Sodexho has agreed to provide its campus food service employees higher wages and better benefits, as the food service company and UC Davis signed a memorandum of understanding Oct. 22 outlining a new agreement. The memorandum finalizes an agreement made between the university and Sodexho over the summer.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2008, Sodexho will improve employee medical benefits by increasing its employer-employee contribution ratio from 60-to-40 percent to 80-to-20 percent. Sodexho career employees will also receive a $100 monthly stipend to offset health care costs, though it may be spent however the employee desires.

Posted by Info Center at 3:10 PM in Food Services | Higher Education | Permalink
Tags: California

Source: By Jeff Christman, The Morning Call (PA), October 29, 2007

A proposal to outsource Pleasant Valley School District transportation and food service probably would result in unreliable bus service, empty promises of savings and more than 140 district employees without jobs, according to a union leader.

Scott Carpenter and Paul Shemansky of the Pennsylvania State Education Association lobbied the school board Thursday to reconsider the ''monumental move'' of contracting with private, profit-driven companies to provide the services.

''Essentially you're firing more than 140 people and offering their jobs to people who will be paid low wages without health benefits,'' Shemansky said.

Posted by Info Center at 3:03 PM in Food Services | School Bus | Schools K-12 | Permalink

Source: By Susan Snyder, Philadelphia Inquirer (PA), Wed, Sep. 26, 2007

The Philadelphia School District will end its contract with Aramark to run full-service cafeterias in 115 of the district's 267 schools, officials announced yesterday.

As of Oct. 1, the school district will take back the operations and run the cafeterias, which Aramark has run for the last two years.

District officials said earlier this month that they were unhappy that the company had not helped the district erase a long-standing deficit in its full-service cafeteria operations and were considering terminating the five-year contract - renewable annually - after the first two full years.

Posted by Info Center at 2:15 PM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink

Source: By Susan Snyder, Philadelphia Inquirer (PA), Fri, Sep. 28, 2007

Two national unions that represent cafeteria and custodial employees in the Philadelphia School District yesterday called on Gov. Rendell to appoint an independent auditor to investigate the state-run district's recently severed contract with the Aramark food-service company. The unions said the district's full-service cafeterias continued to operate in the red under Aramark, finishing with a $4 million deficit in 2005-06 - the first year they were managed by Aramark - and a nearly $7 million shortfall last June.

...... "The community has the right to know why Aramark was not able to live up to its proposed sales and expense projections, which resulted in continued deficits for the school district," said the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Unite Here.

Posted by Info Center at 11:08 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink

Source: By John Petroski, Special to The Recorder (CT), September 26, 2007

A mysterious object was found in a blueberry muffin purchased in Memorial Hall last week; initial rumors suggested that the object was a beetle.

Although students confessed faith in Memorial Hall's food, Bob Hermann, the Director of Dining Services, confirmed what many could not believe.

....... The blueberry muffin was a Sysco product purchased by Sodexho campus services.

"There was a foreign matter in the muffin," said Hermann.

Posted by Info Center at 10:38 AM in Food Services | Higher Education | Permalink

Source: By Sharon Stello, Davis Enterprise (CA), September 20, 2007

UC Davis food workers urged UC regents Wednesday to support their effort to become university employees, then disrupted the meeting's start by chanting and marching out of the auditorium.

UCD is the last of the University of California's 10 campuses and five medical centers still contracting with outside companies to provide food service. At UCD, about 500 food workers are employed by Sodexho.

Posted by Info Center at 1:31 PM in Food Services | Higher Education | Permalink

Source: Stephanie Jevtic, Chicago Flame (IL), 9/24/07 Section: News

A boycott is ensuing at Northeastern Illinois University against Sodexho after the $6.7 billion corporation decided to increase food prices for NEIU this school year. Sodexho is also the new food provider here at UIC campus.

Posted by Info Center at 1:29 PM in Food Services | Higher Education | Permalink

Source: By Susan Snyder, Philadelphia Inquirer (PA), Wed, Sep. 5, 2007

The Philadelphia School District in 2005 hired Aramark to help it erase a long-standing deficit in its full-service cafeterias.

But the Philadelphia-based company hasn't closed that deficit, and school officials, none too happy, are now prepared to end the contract with the company if new terms can't be reached.

Posted by Info Center at 11:26 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink

Source: By Sharon Stello, Davis Enterprise (CA), Aug 30, 2007 - 14:18:06 CDT.

Sodexho will increase wages and benefits for its food service workers at UC Davis under a new agreement with the campus, adding about $2 million in annual costs for the remaining three years of UCD's contract with the company. UCD will evaluate all options for providing food service in anticipation of that contract's end.

...... A UCD spokeswoman noted that Sodexho workers have the right to unionize without becoming university employees. UCD's announcement came as a surprise to William Schlitz, spokesman for AFSCME Local 3299, the union that would represent the food workers if employed by UCD.

Posted by Info Center at 10:13 AM in Food Services | Higher Education | Permalink

Source: Sacramento Business Journal, 2:25 PM PDT Wednesday, August 29, 2007

The University of California Davis has reached an agreement with food service contractor Sodexho Inc. in the labor debate between the university and the labor contractor.

For the three years remaining in the contract, Sodexho will increase the employer contribution to employees' medical benefits plan, and increase wages for employees. The increased medical benefit contribution will begin Jan. 1. Sodexho will determine the amount before open enrollment for the health plan begins in October.

The agreement also calls for Sodexho-employed hourly workers to be paid more comparably to university workers.

Posted by Info Center at 9:58 AM in Food Services | Higher Education | Permalink

Source: By Ryan Bentley, News-Review (MI), Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Petoskey school board members decided Monday to turn to a private contractor to supply all employees for local schools’ food-service program in 2007-08 — eliminating 13 cook and cook helper positions from the district’s staff in the process.

......... Agnes Shaw, PESPA’s co-president and a cook at Petoskey High School, said several local organizations — such as Northern Michigan Hospital and North Central Michigan College — had privatized some of their support services in the past but later reversed their decisions.

“They are all back to their employees because there are hidden costs in these contracts that are prohibitive,” she said.

...... Hourly wages for the cook and cook helper positions which Petoskey plans to eliminate range from $10 to $14.08.

One of the 14 new food-service positions to be provided by contractor Chartwells would have a $7.75 hourly wage, while others’ wages would range from $9.25 to $10.20.

Currently, district food-service employees working more than 25 hours per week are eligible for health benefits for themselves and dependents, while workers scheduled for fewer hours can receive prorated benefits.

Chartwells would supply single benefit coverage for employees who work at least 28.75 hours weekly.

Posted by Info Center at 10:16 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink

Source: BY LIZ COBBS, Ann Arbor News (MI), Sunday, July 29, 2007

Pinckney school officials weren't trying to lead the way on privatization when they decided to outsource food service in 1976 and bus transportation in 1994. They just wanted to find ways to save money, said Linda Moskalik, assistant superintendent for finance and operations.

......... During a time of budget cuts, declining student enrollment and uncertainty over state funding, many districts have turned to private companies to provide food, janitorial and busing services, and that trend is expected to continue.

Posted by Info Center at 12:33 PM in Custodial | Food Services | Schools K-12 | Transportation | Permalink

Source: By Barb Kucera, Workday Minnesota, 29 June 2007

ST. PAUL - UNITE HERE Local 17 called a boycott of Capitol cafeterias after the state of Minnesota awarded the food service contract to a company that won't recognize the employees' union and is laying off workers.

Eighteen long-term cafeteria staff were scheduled to lose their jobs Friday, to be replaced by employees of the new contractor, Wayzata-based Taher Inc.

Posted by Info Center at 10:42 AM in Food Services | Permalink

Source: By Ryan J. Foley, The Associated Press (WI), June 14, 2007

A sheriff’s constitutional powers to run a jail do not include the right to hire and fire employees who feed inmates, a divided Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled today. In a 4-3 decision (.pdf), the court said a public employees’ union can challenge Brown County Sheriff Dennis Kocken’s decision to lay off its workers and privatize food service at the jail.

….. The decision means the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union can file a complaint with the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission over the matter.

Posted by Info Center at 11:51 AM in Food Services | Laws/Legislation | Public Safety | Permalink

Source: By Phillip Reese, Sacramento Bee (CA), Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Roughly 100 students and workers blocked access to UC Davis' main administration building most of Wednesday, demanding that the university ditch its food service contractor and employ their workers directly.

…… The protesters are asking Vanderhoef to cancel the university's contract with Sodexho, a private company that they contend pays low wages and provides insufficient benefits.

Posted by Info Center at 10:31 AM in Food Services | Higher Education | Permalink

Source: By CLARE JELLICK, Peoria Journal Star (IL)Wednesday, May 2, 2007
\
District 150's "lunch ladies" are making a plea to the public to help them avoid complete outsourcing of food service, which workers say could result in a reduction in wages and benefits, their union being dissolved or a loss of jobs.

The 219 employees have been putting up orange and blue yard signs this week that say "Save Our Lunch Ladies - No Outsourcing #150." About 200 signs have been distributed.

Posted by Info Center at 10:07 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink

Source: Bo Hee Kim, California Aggie (CA), 5/1/07

Editor's note: Today, the UC Davis food-service workers will participate in planned civil disobedience on campus in an effort to raise awareness about their desire to be directly employed by the university instead of being subcontracted out to Sodexho, the company that provides UC Davis' food services. The California Aggie sat down with one of the food-service workers to discuss why she is participating in today's actions.

Posted by Info Center at 2:33 PM in Food Services | Higher Education | Permalink

Source: By NATALIA E. ARBULÚ, The Republican (MA), Wednesday, November 22, 2006

SPRINGFIELD - City officials are hearing complaints from some parents about the quality of school lunches, while cafeteria workers claim they don't have enough staff to promptly prepare and serve food to pupils. On Monday, the Joint Ad hoc Committee of the City Council and School Committee listened to concerns about lunches since Sodexho School Services took over the food services program.

Posted by Info Center at 10:16 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink

Source: THE FLINT JOURNAL (MI), Thursday, November 16, 2006

The Genesee County Community Mental Health Board of Directors could eliminate 21 jobs, which would wipe out one of two employee teams that reach out to hard-to-serve people with mental illness. ……. Russell said CMH clients won't be forgotten if a nine-person, in-house team is eliminated. The clients simply will be served by a contracted organization, such as others that already work with the agency

....... Russell said the job cuts, which would include closing a CMH cafeteria and eliminating internal mail delivery and maintenance positions, would allow the county to provide additional services with the savings.

Posted by Info Center at 10:57 AM in Food Services | Maintenance | Mental Health | Permalink

Source: BY ETHAN ROUEN, New York DAILY NEWS, Nov 3, 2006

..... The Health Department shut down Vanderclute Hall on Oct. 27 because the school had been serving food without a permit since January......... The Maritime College, in the Throgs Neck neighborhood, scored 50 violation points during last week's inspection. ........ Besides evidence of roaches, "harborage or conditions conducive to vermin exist," the department's Web site stated. Food was not cooled properly, either. ...... The cafeteria, which is run by a contractor, Sodexho, reopened almost immediately in violation of the department's orders, and was again shut down Wednesday.

Posted by Info Center at 10:39 AM in Food Services | Higher Education | Horror Stories | Permalink

Source: By NATALIA E. ARBULÚ, The Republican (MA), Tuesday, October 31, 2006

SPRINGFIELD - A top official for Sodexho School Services, which runs the school district's food services program, has called a local union's charges of unfair labor practices against the company a stalling tactic. Sodexho has questioned the legality of an Oct. 2 vote of 82 to 12 where employees chose the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1459 as their union.

...... But Daniel P. Clifford, secretary and treasurer of Local 1459, said Sodexho was the first to stall the process by not recognizing the union.

...... Sodexho has hired employees at hourly wages that are lower than what they would have received under a contract with the city. These wages are subject to negotiation.

Posted by Info Center at 11:24 AM in Food Services | Permalink

Source: By: Dana Forde, New Egypt Press (NJ), 09/21/2006

A minimum wage battle is brewing between food service workers in Plumsted Township and a newly appointed food service provider. The Philadelphia based Aramark company has replaced Sodexho USA as the school district's food service company. But food service workers, referred to as the "lunch ladies", are unhappy that they may lose their benefits package and see a decrease in pay under the new company.

Posted by Info Center at 10:04 AM in Food Services | Permalink

Source: By NATALIA E. ARBULÚ, The Republican (MA), Saturday, August 26, 2006

SPRINGFIELD - Sodexho School Services, the private company chosen to run the school district's food services program, has hired 224 former cafeteria workers. But the hourly wages offered to employees are significantly lower than what they would have made this school year under a negotiated contract with the city, said Judy R. Ceravolo, president of the Springfield Cafeteria Workers Association.

Employees stand to gain up to 75 cents an hour or lose anywhere from 90 cents to $3.50 an hour with Sodexho depending on their position.

Posted by Info Center at 10:41 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink

Source: By LARRY SHIELDS, Salem News (OH), August 1, 2006

SALEM - A private company will manage food service in the Salem schools beginning this year, but cafeteria employees will still be employed by the district, superintendent Steve Larcomb said. During a special Monday meeting, by a 3-1 voter, the board approved a one-year contract with four one-year renewals with The Nutrition Group Inc. of West Newton, Pa. ….. There are approximately 20 cafeteria workers represented by the Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local 215 and Larcomb said there would be no privitazation. "They are still Salem employees," he said, adding they work for Salem schools and their paychecks will be issued by the district.

Posted by Info Center at 10:03 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink

Source: By Keith L. Alexander and Michael Rosenwald, Washington Post, Monday, June 12, 2006

Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Sodexho USA are scheduled to announce today a new joint venture that will team the NBA all-star with one of the nation's largest food preparation companies. Johnson will own 51 percent of the new company to be called SodexhoMagic, which will be based at Sodexho's headquarters in Gaithersburg.

...... Sodexho provides meal and catering services, housekeeping, and groundskeeping for schools, colleges, retirement homes, hospitals and corporate cafeterias.

Posted by Info Center at 10:56 AM in Food Services | Permalink

Source: By Gene Park, Pacific Daily News (Guam), May 31, 2006

The Guam Public School System is re-evaluating who should be serving daily nourishment to thousands of public school students. At last week's fiscal 2007 budget hearing for the education department, officials said it appears the government may be losing money as a result of privatized cafeterias. Preliminary numbers show the department would lose $2.8 million when it is federally reimbursed for providing food to school children, said Ike Santos, nutrition and food services acting administrator.

Posted by Info Center at 11:49 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink

Source: By Steve Terrell, The New Mexican, May 31, 2006

A state prison contractor involved in the investigation of a relationship between Corrections Secretary Joe Williams and a lobbyist contributed $10,000 to Gov. Bill Richardson's re-election campaign. The political-action committee for Aramark -- a Philadelphia-based company that makes millions of dollars a year to feed New Mexico inmates -- contributed to Richardson's campaign in May 2005, according to Richardson's most recent campaign-finance report.

...... The Governor's Office announced this week that Williams is being put on administrative leave while the state Personnel Office investigates his relationship with Ann E. Casey, who registered as a lobbyist for Aramark and Wexford Health Services, which provides health care to New Mexico inmates.

Posted by Info Center at 11:22 AM in Corrections | Corrections Health | Food Services | Permalink

Source: By JOAO FERREIRA, Standard-Times (MA), May 26, 2006

FAIRHAVEN — Sodexho's often tumultuous tenure as the Fairhaven public schools food service provider is coming to an end. The food service giant opted out of a five-year contract with the town after the School Committee sent the company a letter on March 16, indicating that it might not exercise its option for renewal. ..... In December, students at the Leroy L. Wood Elementary School boycotted the Sodexho prepared lunch, complaining about cold food, sour milk and often uncooked items.

Posted by Info Center at 9:59 AM in Food Services | Schools K-12 | Permalink

by: Veronica Lewis, New University Paper (CA), April 26, 2006

In response to increasing pressure from student and worker groups culminating in a planned candlelight vigil in front of Chancellor Michael Drake’s house on Jan. 26, UC Irvine administrators have determined to employ campus food service workers directly, and to offer them the same benefits as other UC employees. Details of the agreement between workers and administrators are yet to be finalized, but it is likely that the change will come at an increased cost to students.

...... It is estimated that about 170 employees will be affected by the move. Depending on their situations, it will cost between $8,000 and $12,000 annually to bring each worker in-house. The total financial impact on the university will be about $1.7 million each year. The Aramark workers who operate the on-campus dining and food facilities will be required to join the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 labor union once contract terms are finalized.

Posted by Info Center at 11:06 AM in Food Services | Higher Education | Publicization | Permalink

Source: By STEVE SCHULTZE, Journal Sentinel (WI), April 26, 2006

Milwaukee County provided lax oversight and entered poorly written lease deals with private food vendors at Lake, O'Donnell and Red Arrow parks, said an audit released Tuesday. But County Executive Scott Walker said the shortcomings shouldn't hamper his efforts to expand privatization at county parks and other facilities. Walker has suggested placing additional coffee shops in parks and scrutiny of other commercial deals to help plug a growing county budget gap.

Posted by Info Center at 10:33 AM in Audits/Reporting | Food Services | Permalink

Source: AIMEE GREEN, Oregonian, Thursday, March 23, 2006

..... In fall, the Clackamas County Jail convened a committee to look at the possibility of saving hundreds of thousands of dollars by contracting out its food service to a private company, like many jails and prisons across the country. But after months of study, committee members decided that contracting out for food service didn't turn out to be all it was cracked up to be, Howard said. Private companies have much higher employee turnover, said Al Jacobs, food services coordinator for the jail. Jail officials worry that such turnover might increase the likelihood of contraband being smuggled into the jail -- everything from drugs to weapons -- and require more background checks for hiring staff.

Posted by Info Center at 9:53 AM in Corrections | Food Services | Permalink

Source: Rob Copeland, Duke Chronicle, 3/28/06

Campus food provider ARAMARK Corp. has turned down the opportunity to rebid on its contract at the University, company officials and Duke dining administrators confirmed Monday. ....... Several student leaders said they are pleased with the week's turn-of-events. "I'm surprised that ARAMARK would give up without more of a fight, but after three DUSDAC votes of no confidence.... I can't say I didn't expect it," said senior Andrew Wallace, co-chair of the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee. He noted that the conglomerate also claimed to have never made a profit at Duke in the past five years, which may have been a contributing factor in ARAMARK's decision to rebid for the job.

Posted by Info Center at 9:26 AM in Food Services | Higher Education | Permalink

Source: By Deirdre Cox Baker, Quad City Times (IA), Feb 22, 2006

An annual contract for food and laundry services at the Scott County Jail may switch from area firms to a national company based in Philadelphia. Scott County Sheriff Dennis Conard said Tuesday that the change to Aramark Correctional Services Inc. will provide a cost savings to the county and include several other advantages. But a county employee said the change may cost her job, and a representative of Thoms Proestler Co., Rock Island, said food costs would be less with the area firm. ..... Further, Aramark can provide food transportation to the jail annex at 46th and Tremont streets in Davenport, work that is handled now by county staff. Laundry services now managed by a Scott County correctional officer would be managed by an Aramark employee, and Conard said additional savings should come from bulk purchases made by the Aramark, which has services across North America and in Europe.

Posted by Info Center at 2:01 PM in Corrections | Food Services | Permalink

Source: By KAREN KELLER, HERALD NEWS (NJ), Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Passaic County Jail inmate prayers -- and stomach rumblings -- have been heard. Sheriff Jerry Speziale is firing the jail's meal provider, Aramark, and inmates will take charge of the kitchen come May, Speziale spokesman Bill Maer said. "We can do it as well as them at this point," he said. The company's $1.7 million annual contract is being terminated based on poor "quality, service, attentiveness," Maer said. Jail officials haven't estimated how much they will save by cooking in-house, but the financial aspect is secondary, Maer said. Inmates said the food is cold, measly in portion size, not varied enough and served on dirty trays, forcing some to pay as much as $200 a month on prepackaged food from the jail's commissary.

Posted by Info Center at 10:12 AM in Corrections | Food Services | Horror Stories | Publicization | Permalink

Source: By LISA LIVERMORE, Des Moines Register, February 21, 2006

Ames – Iowa State University decided against hiring an outside company to operate its food service, ISU president Gregory Geoffroy announced today. The announcement ends a national bidding process that evaluated proposals from three private companies: ARAMARK, Chartwells and Sodexho. If ISU would have gone with one of those companies, it would have been the first public school in the Big 12 Conference to privatize its food service. Employees at ISU dining have opposed hiring an outside company, fearing a reduction in wages and benefits and quality of food from companies driven by profit. ..... ISU administrators said the decision to stay with their own dining service came in part because it has received high satisfaction ratings from consumers.

Posted by Info Center at 3:43 PM in Food Services | Permalink

Source: BY CYNTHIA NEEDHAM, Providence Journal (RI), Wednesday, February 8, 2006

WOONSOCKET -- Sodexho food services workers in the city's schools have voted to unionize, officials for both sides say. In a 38-to-19 vote taken Jan. 27, the district's cafeteria workers -- employed by Sodexho -- voted to unionize under the United Food & Commercial Workers, Local 328, an AFL-CIO affiliate. Following that vote, each of the parties was given one week to file an objection, according to Bob Redbord, a deputy regional attorney for the National Labor Relations Board in Boston. ...... Nationwide, 12.5 percent of Sodexho employees are unionized, according to Gordon, who called that figure "average or a little bit above average for the food services industry."

Posted by Info Center at 3:33 PM in Food Services | Permalink