Economic Case Study of Outsourcing University Food Service
Uploaded by spootyhead on Feb 19, 2007
Economic Case Study of Outsourcing University Food Service
In a changing world in which commodification is king, it is often the unskilled workers whose interests are pushed to the wayside. This is clearly the case with the Bucknell University dining services, in which many loyal, dedicated workers stand to lose their jobs and other important benefits. In this paper, we will explore how community and quality will inevitably be sacrificed in order to create a more efficiently run food service program. We have constructed our argument from data we collected through numerous interviews with dining service workers and managers from the cafeteria, the Bison and Seventh Street Café. It is very important to remember that this is opinionated data that may or may not be totally correct. However, it is factual data in regard to how the staff feels about this process. To supplement that, we interviewed the president of the Union County Industrial Corporation, Mr. Steven Hall, and a faculty member who is close to the dining service staff and is well informed about the issue at hand. We listened to the employees’ opinions on issues such as their current work environment, how their working situation could be improved and the changes that they expect. From these interviews we have discerned some of the concerns about the current dining service situation as well as possible concerns that a new contract could cause. Our goal is to give merit to the words of these workers. After all, they have the most to loose in this process. Unfortunately, as we found out quickly in the interview process, their voice is simply not being heard.
In 1993, following the resignation of the dining services’ upper-level managers, Bucknell decided to bring in a professional food services company to handle it’s dining and catering needs. When they decided on Wood Dining Services, the dining services staff (Bucknell employees until that point) were given the option of continuing on as Bucknell employees or converting to Wood’s payrolls. Many decided to shift to the higher-paying Wood, but a good number chose to continue under Bucknell. They valued the benefits Bucknell entitled them to over the incremental wages.
One of the main benefits of remaining a Bucknell employee was basic job security. This cannot be assumed when working for a contractor, as your...