Dist. 300 addresses food safety concerns
Officials in Community Unit District 300 said Monday they have taken steps to address the concerns of food service workers who are trying to unionize.
Superintendent Ken Arndt said at Monday's school board meeting that he met two weeks ago with representatives of Aramark, the district's food services contractor, to address workers' concerns.
Employees have complained of low wages, meager benefits, inadequate equipment and unsafe food preparation.
"The administration takes these concerns very seriously," Arndt said.
The superintendent did not say what was discussed at his meeting with Aramark but asked parents and employees with concerns about food safety to contact him directly.
He also said he would ask building-level administrators to share concerns they have heard.
Arndt has personally visited food service workers at Dundee-Crown High School to hear their concerns.
"When concerns are being legitimately raised, they will be corrected," Arndt said.
The superintendent's remarks came after a food service worker and a union official raised additional concerns about Aramark.
A representative from the Service Employees' International Union, which is trying to unionize hundreds of food service workers in the Chicago area, accused Aramark of "financial mismanagement."
"Carpentersville schools have been losing money on their food service program as far back as we can see," said union representative Laurie Coach.
She said the district has run large deficits in its food services budget in several years since 1998 and suggested some of the money was unaccounted for.
Arndt said Monday was the first he heard about possible deficits in food services.
"This is news to me," Arndt said.
Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Crates suggested the union official's assertions were unfounded.
"I'm sure we'll be refuting the inaccurate numbers (we heard) today," Crates said.
She added that the district's recent shift to new accounting practices may explain the apparent deficits.
Besides the food service workers, employees at the Cambridge Lakes Charter School in Pingree Grove and District 300 bus drivers are trying to unionize.