Hastings food service workers' union expresses concerns as school district seeks outsourcing
HASTINGS, Minn. -- Hastings food service workers, along with union leaders of SEIU Local 284, say they are concerned with the school district's proposal to privatize nutrition services.
On Tuesday, SEIU Local 284 said the district has yet to bargain with the union about any privatization process "despite repeated attempts for clarification and explicit requests" from the union. In February and March, union workers held a seven-week strike.
"Our members in Hastings love ensuring the kids of this community get the food they need to be ready to learn," Kelly Gibbons, the Executive Director of SEIU Local 284, said. "Our members' bottom line is the kids of this community. And that is why they have many questions about how privatization better serves kids. It's critical that the district be more transparent with the Hastings community about why they are doing this now."
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Hastings Public Schools released a statement in response to the union, saying "no final decisions regarding potential outsourcing have been made at this time." The school district also said it informed the union of the potential outsourcing before the strike ended.
The school district's full statement:
Before the recent food service strike in Hastings ended, the District notified SEIU Local 284 that it would begin considering potential outsourcing possibilities. On April 12, 2023, the School Board adopted a motion directing administration to seek proposals related to potential outsourcing. The District's administration promptly invited SEIU Local 284 representatives to meet to discuss the Board's decision. The meeting took place on April 20, 2023. It is unclear why SEIU Local 284 has decided now to raise this issue with the media.
To be clear, no final decisions regarding potential outsourcing have been made at this time. The District is exploring options, which many other school districts have done. Many Minnesota school districts have made the decision to outsource food service. The District learned as it implemented its strike plan, over the course of the recent strike, that it may be able to realize cost savings and greater efficiencies by exploring potential outsourcing or alternative structures for how it handles food service. Given the financial challenges faced by Hastings Public Schools, the District is continuing its efforts to explore alternative food service models.
The union nutrition staff comprises of 30 workers.
