On January 1, 2014, 16 Sodexo employees who work on the Keene State College campus lost their health care benefits that the company once provided. According to Gregory Yost, Sodexo’s spokesperson, Sodexo “redefined” what part-time and full-time positions entailed in order to comply with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act). To qualify as a full-time employee, a worker must work an average of 30 hours a week over the course of a 52-week time span. Since these changes have been enforced, those who are now part-time employees do not have health care services provided to them by Sodexo.
Director of Campus Purchasing and Contract Services, James Draper, said the health care change information was first brought to his attention in the fall of 2013. He said that, “We took a look at it [the new changes] and we asked them a number of questions. In fact, one of the things that we asked them to do is that—if Sodexo is saving money by not doing this—we have asked them to look into alternative programs to help the part-time people.”
Draper said these programs were suggested because, “We were very concerned that it would be perceived weird by the employees. We didn’t want it to come across as cuts, we didn’t want unhappy employees because we care about them.”
Psychology Professor Mitchell Speaks said he also learned about the upcoming Sodexo health care changes in the fall. Speaks is the president of the adjunct faculty bargaining unit, and when he heard about this issue, he mentioned it in a general meeting with different labor groups on campus and KSC President, Anne Huot.
After hearing about a similar situation at the University of Vermont and how that institution was handling their Sodexo health care issue, Speaks mentioned UVM’s stance in the general meeting and wondered if KSC could take the same precautions.
According to an article on digital.vpr.net, Vermont’s NPR news source, UVM’s contract with Sodexo states that, “Sodexo [sic] shall not, without University’s prior approval, make any substantial changes in wages, fringe benefits or working conditions of non-management Food Service employees,’ unless required by law.”
No actions have been made, though, in putting a halt or pause on the change Sodexo workers are now facing at KSC, according to both Draper and Speaks. “There’s always been a concern on everybody’s part about how large contractor’s treat the people that work on campus, and that’s why we make a real big deal of it in the bids specifications,” Draper said, who explained the bids process.
According to Draper, any bids are opened nationally for other companies to try to partner with KSC. He explained that service programs, dietitians on staff and being able to cater to vending, athletics concessions, food courts, catering and the Zorn Dining Commons were some of the reasons why Sodexo has been picked to be the food services provider to the college multiple times.
Draper pointed out that there are about 200 large contracts KSC holds with outside organizations. “Sodexo has been the incumbent and has won it every year [for the food service provider contract bid],” he said. Draper also said that contracts can be annually renewed and alterations can be made.
Speaks added that, “all I would hope—and all I could really say—is that as a president of one of the worker’s unions, I would hope that both the college and Sodexo would do as much as they could to protect the workers.”
Brittany Ballantyne can be contacted at bballantyne@keene-equinox.com