Faced with the loss of their AFSCME-negotiated wages and benefits, and even their jobs, cafeteria workers at the Atlanta Public School District, members of Local 1644, persuaded school board officials this week to reject a bid by outsourcer Aramark to take over operations.
The 450 food service workers, cashiers and managers who fought Aramark are currently employed by food service vendor Sodexo. As its five-year contract with the school district was about to expire, the school board considered a bid by competitor Aramark that did not guarantee the existing cafeteria employees their jobs.
Nor did it guarantee that – if they kept their jobs – the workers would retain their recently negotiated wages and benefits. Those included sick leave, holiday pay, employer-paid life insurance, bereavement leave, a wage increase and an employer-matched 401(k).
Contending that Aramark’s attempt to underbid Sodexo would create a “race to the bottom,” Local 1644 members built a coalition with parents, school teachers and clergy to let the community know that switching to Aramark threatened the health of the students.
“It was all done in solidarity,” said cafeteria manager Deanna Evans, also an AFSCME Local 1644 steward. “We all stood united – the city workers helped us with this fight. The bus drivers, the mechanics and other AFSCME members helped us.”
They spoke out at school board meetings every month for the past six months, passed out leaflets, and issued a report comparing the two companies. Local 1644 also backed its case with a white paper that detailed Aramark’s alarming and scandalous record.
They also marched on Aramark’s Atlanta offices – twice – and knocked on the door to tell them they weren’t welcome. “They called the police on us,” said Evans. “They said they didn’t want to be bothered with us.”
Local 1644’s efforts were successful. On March 2, the board voted 9-0 to retain Sodexo as its cafeteria vendor.
Their key to victory, said Evans, was that “we did a little investigating and agitation, and we kept agitating. We presented a strong front. We didn’t just go in and say, ‘we like Sodexo.’ We presented facts. A lot of leg work.”