Foodservice workers unhappy with union

MONTPELIER, Vt. — Food service personnel at Montpelier High School say they no longer want to be represented by the Montpelier Educational Support Staff Association.

Kitchen manager Tony Bushway said this week the 12 kitchen staff members are working under a contract in which they “don’t get anything.” Even though the employees are not dues-paying union members, they are required to pay a percentage of dues as a result of a “fair share” law that went into effect in 2013.

Bushway said the support staff union asked cafeteria workers to join in 2009, telling employees it would bargain to get them health benefits and advocate for other rights. The kitchen staff voted to join the union and became the bargaining unit for food services. But when the master contract came out later that year, the food service staff was disappointed in the outcome, he said.

Bushway said the union gave up in negotiations certain benefits that food service employees already had before joining: major holidays and floating holidays, sick leave accumulation and life insurance.

“It just wasn’t there,” said Bushway.

He said the school superintendent at the time, Mark Mason, told him to work it out with the union. But union officials told him there was nothing they could do because it was already part of a signed contract, Bushway said. Eventually, however, Mason was able to restore the benefits in an amended contract.

“It was an oversight and it was fixed,” said Bushway. Despite that, Bushway said he no longer feels comfortable with the union representing the kitchen workers.

On top of having to fight for what benefits his staff already had, the only new benefit, according to Bushway — a 2 to 3 percent annual pay raise — is essentially being offset by having to pay the union fees.