Belle Vernon cafeteria workers worried about visit by outside consultant
BELLE VERNON – A visit by an outside cafeteria consultant made for a tumultuous meeting of the Belle Vernon Area School Board this week. The board discussed last week’s visit from Nutrition Inc., a visit that apparently worried many district cafeteria employees.
Superintendent Charles Chandler said that director Harvey Anderson invited Nutrition Inc. to last Monday’s agenda meeting, as he was under the impression that the company might be able to save the district money. Other board members did not agree that bringing the company in to the district would benefit them.
“I prefer our food service system to remain as it is,” said president Aaron Bialon. “I was notified last Friday before the meeting that they would be giving a presentation, but I do not desire to have their program.”
The cafeteria workers were upset by the presentation because they feared that if the board allowed the company to service the district, many of the local workers could lose their jobs, according to a woman who identified herself as a representative for the local cafeteria employees.
Local resident Fred Reeb of Rostraver Township said that it was his understanding that Nutrition Inc. would only provide food and save them money, but all of the cafeteria workers would remain.
The representative for the cafeteria employees said they did not believe that would be the case. She said they had discovered by communications with other schools that had hired Nutrition Inc. that employees’ hours had been cut and some cafeteria employees lost their jobs.
She told the board that the employees have children and grandchildren in the district and added, “No service will treat your children the way we have treated your children.”
Bialon reassured the workers that he is not in favor of the program and said that there are very few board members who are.
“That does not bar any member of this board from bringing a motion to the table dealing with the company,” said Bialon. “So I can’t guarantee that this won’t surface again. I feel we have a self supporting program and I am not in favor of their service.”