5 things: Texas Ag Commissioner wants armed guards in school cafeterias

In this edition of 5 Things, Food Management highlights five things you may have missed recently about developments affecting onsite dining.

Here’s your list for today:

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said he has the power to place school cafeteria safety officers in all schools across the state, a statement that comes in wake of the May 24 Uvalde school shooting. In a newsletter from his campaign on June 22, Miller said the idea came as he explored ways for the Texas Department of Agriculture to improve school safety and learned that cafeterias are especially vulnerable. Miller said he is working with the USDA to direct federal funding toward placing "trained and armed law enforcement officers" in every Texas school cafeteria.

Read more: Texas agriculture commissioner plans to put more officers in school cafeterias

The Los Angeles City Council has voted to boost the minimum wage for workers at privately owned hospitals to $25 an hour, rather than sending the question to the November ballot for voters to decide. The wage requirement will cover a wide range of workers, including nurses, aides, housekeepers, guards, janitors and other employees who are not supervisors or managers.

Related:5 tech things: Chartwells Higher Ed expands campus dining tech partnership

Read more: L.A. City Council backs $25 minimum wage for some health workers

With interest rates soaring, stocks tanking and fears of a recession mounting, employers are axing jobs or dialing back their once-breakneck hiring plans. Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc., America’s two biggest private employers, have said they’re thinning out their hourly workforces through attrition and jobless claims, while still low, have risen slightly, based on a four-week moving average that smooths out weekly volatility.

Read more: Recession-Fearing Bosses Quietly Abandon Open Jobs

The nutritious, award-winning meals enjoyed by UC Davis Medical Center patients are now being served at a local nonprofit health care center to people who are experiencing homelessness. The daily meal service is provided by UC Davis Health at no cost to the newly opened WellSpace Health Gregory Bunker Care Transitions Center of Excellence, a dormitory-like setting in South Sacramento where people experiencing homelessness recover from illness after being discharged from area hospitals. About 15,000 meals have been provided since the service began in March.

Related:5 things: District hires high schoolers to staff cafeterias

Read more: Medical center kitchen team prepares meals for people experiencing homelessness

After reaching out to faculty to volunteer for jobs serving food to students last fall, Michigan State University has now created 100 full-time positions such as dining hall attendants, kitchen custodians, concession attendants and service workers to fill the need for the 2022-23 school year. The pay scale ranges from $20-$24 an hour and comes with full-time benefits such as retirement contributions, paid vacation, sick and personal leave, tuition assistance, discounted meals and medical care including dental and vision.

Read more: 100 new dining hall jobs available at Michigan State University after fall staff shortage

Bonus: College Chef Showcase: Community-minded U of Dubuque chef serves up action

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]