5 coronavirus things: Compass sheds laundry unit Crothall

Google workers, including contracted support staff, form union

Some 400 employees of Google parent company Alphabet have announced the formation of a union, the Alphabet Workers Union, that is open to all employees, including contract workers such as dining staff. While the initial membership is a small fraction of the more than 260,000 individuals employed either directly or through contractors by Alphabet, it is a legitimate union under the minority union designation that has formally aligned with a major labor union, the Communications Workers of America

Read more: Google workers have made organizing attempts in the past. Here’s why this one is more significant

Compass sells Crothall laundry unit to investment firm

Compass Group has completed the sale of its Crothall Laundry Services unit to H.I.G. Capital, a Miami-based investment firm. The unit is part of Compass’ Crothall Healthcare division, which operates a number of outsource services to healthcare industry clients such as environmental, transportation and facility management and offers bundled service packages in combination with the company’s Compass One Healthcare and Morrison Healthcare dining services providers.

Founded in 1991, Crothall operates a national network with 29 operating locations that service more than 1,000 customer sites and manages a workforce with more than 2,000 employees.

Read more: H.I.G. Capital Completes Acquisition of Crothall Laundry Services

Erie Schools, Metz launch bus-based meal distribution program

Erie Public Schools (EPS) in Pennsylvania and its contract foodservice firm Metz Culinary are launching a bus-based meal delivery service to 10 locations throughout the city beginning Jan. 5 and continuing through at least the end of the month, the district has announced. The kits will include a lunch and a breakfast each day school is in session.

Read more: Erie's Public Schools to Launch Meal Delivery by Bus Beginning Tuesday

Hospital employees claim kitchen roach infestation

Two employees at Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla., have sent pictures and videos of roaches roaming the hospital's kitchen for about a month to several local TV stations. "We are committed to keeping all areas of the hospital clean and safe," a hospital spokesperson said in response. "Our kitchen is inspected and treated by pest control experts at least once a week. Our most recent treatment was yesterday. Our kitchen is also inspected annually by The Joint Commission. We passed our most recent inspection."

Read more: Hospital employees report pest issue in Florida hospital kitchen

Boston University students launch Instagram page to document meal complaints

A Boston University (BU) freshman and several floormates in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences have created the @bubadeats Instagram page that invites BU students to submit photos of dining hall meals they find disappointing, unhealthy or not “up to par.” The page, which launched Dec. 13, has more than 80 followers and posts comparisons between the food students have received from a dining hall and a “normal” version of the meal.

BU spokesperman Colin Riley replied that certified nutritionists carefully review dining hall menus, that the pictures on @bubadeats are old and not representative of what the dining hall serves daily and that students can provide feedback and lodge complaints through a virtual “contact us” option on BU Dining Services’ website, where staff can then respond to each allegation.