http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/24053Samantha Broussard-Wilson
Staff Reporter
Published 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.
As the city prepares to begin interviews with bidders for the New Haven Public Schools food-service contract, the schools’ custodial and food-service workers unions have upped their efforts to push for the city to reject Aramark’s bid for a contract renewal, although the company has become more vocal in countering these charges in the last week. Aramark currently manages the food and custodial services in New Haven public schools, but since service employees and parents began questioning the company’s food quality and alleged overcharging in November, public dissent has only grown.
In response, Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo has pledged to make the application and selection process more transparent than in previous years and to consider seriously public opinion.
“We are sensitive to the concerns that have been raised and we will open up the process in an effort to determine the best option for the Board of Education,” Mayo said in a press release last month. “A key issue will be cost effectiveness.”
The interview process will begin in April and a final decision from the Board of Education is expected by the beginning of July, said Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo, director of communications for New Haven Public Schools.
But Larry Amendola, president of the Local 3144 Union and a representative of management workers in the schools, said he is not convinced that the Board of Education will not give the contract right back to Aramark.
FULL story at link.
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