Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees prepare for a news conference Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. | Michelle Corum, Jacksonville Today
Published on October 28, 2024 at 11:42 am
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Food service at Duval County Public Schools could soon be in jeopardy.
Contract negotiations between the workers’ union and the district’s food service provider have broken down, News4Jax reported.
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The union said workers could vote to strike if a deal is not agreed upon, possibly affecting student meals at school.
The union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, represents the food service workers. They are in negotiations with Chartwells K12, the district’s food service provider.
“Chartwells employees suffer from chronic understaffing in schools, increased workload with a lack of retention of quality staff due to low wages and lack of benefits that traditional school district employees enjoy,” the union said.
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Monday afternoon, dozens of Chartwell employees, joined by union leaders, gathered outside one of the company sites on the Southside to speak about conditions they face. They included Annette Taylor, a 15-year Chartwell employee and cafeteria lead.
“As a cafeteria lead, I often have to do the work of three staff members due to a lack of employees and decent wages,” Taylor said. “And no one from upper management has the respect, or even tries to help in part of getting the food out to the children that we need to get it out to.”
The union says it is asking Chartwells to bring starting pay to at least $15 an hour for school employees.
Tight now, Chartwells pays the state minimum wage of $13 an hour, they said.
News4JAX has reached out to both Chartwells and the school district by email and phone for comment on negotiations and plans should a strike occur.
This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner. Jacksonville Today reporter Dan Scanlan contributed.
