Action Alert
UNITE HERE Local 17 represents the workers at 3 Capitol Complex cafeterias located in the Centennial Building, the Department of Transportation, and the 600 Building. Local 17 has had successive Collective Bargaining Agreements with several different food service providers at the state office buildings since 1958. The current union contract is with ARAMARK and provides a decent living wage, holiday pay, vacation pay, and 90% employer-paid health benefits for the 18 long time employees who work there. The state-held operating contract for these three cafeterias was recently put out for bid, and the RFP process was conducted by a committee of 8 headed by Commissioner Dana Bagerow of the Department of Administration. ARAMARK lost the bid by 8 points out of 1,000.
The contract has been awarded to the Wayzata-based Taher, Inc. Bruce Taher, CEO, has to the Union that he would not being operating the cafeterias under a Union contract and that the current workforce is welcome to apply, but that he plans on bringing in other employees from some of their other accounts.
Taher, Inc. plans to operate the cafeterias non-union, offering part-time work with no benefits. Apparently he must feel he can get away with this since the State did not bother to include any requirements of bidders to pay a living wage or provide and health benefits, much less keep the long term workforce and a Union contract!
Please contact BRUCE TAHER at 952-945-0505 or email b.taher@taher.com and tell him this is UNACCEPTABLE! Demand that he rehire the workers, offer real employment and benefits, and to STOP UNION BUSTING! Local 17 is asking all Capitol Complex employees to boycott the 3 Capitol Cafeterias!
For more information, call UNITE HERE Local 17 at 612-379-4730.
