Ohio Prison Union Bids to Take Over Food Vending

Ohio Prison Union Bids to Take Over Food Vending

Prison officials in Ohio are being faced with difficult decisions concerning the provision of meals to inmates in state prisons and facilities. Currently, meals are provided by private firm Aramak, who now holds the prison vendor contract. However, in the few years that Aramak has been responsible for providing the meals required per day there has been a 50 percent increase in inmate complaints about quality and portion sizes.

Ohio Civil Services Employees Association was the previous holder of the contract, but was removed after Aramak proposed a budget that reportedly saved the state $13.3 million in the last fiscal year. According to projections, an additional $16.9 million should be saved when this fiscal year finishes at the end of June. The OCSEA has previously bid twice in an attempt to regain the contract, however, Aramak’s budget has been decidedly lower than OSCEA’s and therefore they have not been removed.

While Aramak is still serving the inmates, record highs have been noted concerning inmate reports of dissatisfaction with the food being provided. When the union was in charge of meal provision there was a 5 percent increase in inmate food complaints between 2011 and 2012; Aramak’s service has caused inmate complaints to skyrocket to over 53 percent from 2013 to 2014. An inspection committee’s surveys revealed that the most common complaint, by 78 percent of inmates, was the lack of taste in the food served and portion sizes that were deemed too small.

In addition to services that gave rise to unsatisfactory responses from inmates, Aramak has had trouble keeping a full staff of employees over the years. A reported 135 staff members were fired within the first year and a half of Aramak’s contract for various reasons, which include sexual or inappropriate contact with prisoners and providing inmates with contraband. While during the time that the union was in charge of vending less staff members were suggested for termination, union workers are protected by laws that require documented efforts to discipline and correct behaviors before job termination can occur. Aramak is not held to the same standards, therefore, behavior that may require further investigation and simple disciplinary action for union workers can lead to the firing of an employee contracted by Aramak.

Extra training has begun for Aramak employees, which may have contributed to the decrease in daily complaints received from inmates concerning food quality and/or portion sizes. The private company has seemingly made an effort to increase productivity and the quality of their services, a move which influenced the state to issue a letter of intent to reinstate the company for another two years. Despite the strides being made by Aramak to make significant changes, the union is still hopeful that their proposal, which is said to be $2.9 million less than Aramak’s, will be accepted.