Conn. district renews Sodexo contract despite union complaints

The Board of Education voted 4-3 to renew its contract with Sodexo Tuesday night, a decision union representatives said showed disregard for the city’s laborers in favor of cutting costs.

The one-year renewal of Sodexo’s contract will mark the third year the Gaithersburg, Maryland, company manages the labor and facilities for the city’s school district, a decision the board initially made to save on overtime costs.

Although Sodexo Vice President Mike Grey told board members in March that the company saved the district $150,000 in overtime, members of the Local 466 union have repeatedly voiced their discontent with the way the company treats them.

Board member Linda Szynkowicz told Sodexo representatives that she hadn’t noticed any change in the working relationship between their management and the city’s employees.

“One of the biggest things happens to be the human element behind this,” she said. “We’ve been hearing for months now about a hostile work environment and I don’t think anything has changed on that.”

Board Vice Chair Sheila Daniels said she’d fielded complaints from long-time school employees whom she had never known to complain, adding they indicated they didn’t enjoy their work for the first time in decades.

AFSCME Local 466 representative Ed Thibodeau asked the board to cancel the contract.

“It’s time for this board to admit that its contract with Sodexo is a failed experiment,” he wrote in his prepared comments. “It has not saved money, the schools are dirtier and less safe and the working atmosphere for employees has deteriorated.”

Thibodeau said, prior to the Sodexo contract, Sonitrol would call Board of Education employees whenever an alarm was activated until someone was reached.

Thibodeau showed the board a record of 47 times during a six-month period when facilities director Judy Yoder could not be reached during an alarm. Thibodeau, who spoke first during public comment, said he understood administrators were surveyed to provide their opinions on Sodexo’s performance, but the “rank-and-file employees who really know what is going on” were not contacted.

James Gaudreau, principal of Wilbert Snow Elementary School, shared he felt Sodexo helped to resolve issues quickly and that communication is strong.

“I think they’re very good problem-solvers and I’ve been very impressed with them,” he said.

Bielefield Elementary School Principal Jeff Fournier said his impression was Sodexo works well with the 466 workers.

“They’re accessible, especially late at night,” he said. “I would urge you to support the continuation of Sodexo’s contract.”

Jeff Daniels, president of the Local 466, said it had been a “real bad year for communication” between the company and the Board of Education employees.