Proposition FF: Healthy Kids, Better Food Economy, Part 3
How will Proposition FF support school nutrition workers?
On a mid-October afternoon, Melanie, April, Miriam, and Lavonne, the cafeteria crew at a Jefferson County middle school, are racing against the clock to feed all the students who were just a few hours away from sitting down for lunch. The problem? A last-minute shortage means a key ingredient won’t be available, and the powerhouse team is working together to prepare hundreds of Italian subs for students.
Melanie, the team’s manager and fearless leader, is optimistic, but clearly under pressure due to the “just-in-time” nature of the supply chain. The original plan was to serve meatball subs, which are a lighter lift for the team, but a shortage means they’ll need to find another way to use the thousands of buns sitting in a local warehouse. The pivot means a strain on the schedules of the women, who have working since 6:00 a.m. “Now we’re having to make 275 sandwiches, and three of the four of us are out of here in 15 minutes,” explains Melanie.
Unfortunately, supply chain difficulties are a frequent struggle for the cafeteria team. Melanie acknowledged the reality of the situation, but the frustration was there. “This is a tough day…and I get it, but it’s a pain in the neck,” she says.
Despite their determination to get every kid the nutrition they need to learn, the underinvestment and long supply chains that characterize our current school lunch system often make the jobs of cafeteria workers like Melanie harder, stretching their resources and time thin, both as food preparation workers and moms providing for their own hungry kids.
Will Proposition FF improve cafeteria staffing?
In addition to supply chain issues, Melanie says she and her team are often short staffed, making it hard for them to properly plan and ensure meals are cooked and delivered smoothly. Unfortunately, these staffing shortages could worsen soon: Jefferson County Schools may be heading over a fiscal cliff, largely due to declining local tax revenue and under-enrollment, just as billions in federal pandemic aid is running out.
This looming financial crunch couldn’t come at a worse time. The pandemic left students behind on a number of achievement measures, and schools need resources to invest in helping students recover from Covid-related learning loss. Even though the district is closing schools this year and next as a cost saving measure, projections show staff layoffs are still likely. That would make a hard situation even worse for food service workers like Melanie’s crew.
Even within the kitchen, despite having an all-star team at her side, Melanie’s team is tight-staffed and has trouble finding subs, meaning it’s hard for them to take off if they or their families are sick or they have another emergency. “I have a funeral to go to on Saturday, and in the back of my mind I’m thinking, I really hope it’s not during school because I can’t really (take off work) to go to it.” These workers are dedicated, working early hours and off the clock to ensure every kid at Arvada K-8 can eat; Melanie explained; “I’m supposed to be here at 6:15, but I personally come in a little early, because I feel like it’s needed.”
Obviously, that level of dedication is rare. Like other service jobs, they can be hard to fill because they’re tough, thankless, and come with some of the challenges already outlined. Still, Melanie is deeply loyal to her team. She advocates for her coworkers to get better compensation and more support to ensure they can take time off if they are sick.
“I would like to know….that I’m not going to leave my [coworkers] in the lurch.”
Melanie, Jefferson County School District nutrition worker
Though Proposition FF requires funds be used for raises rather than hiring new staff, it will help reduce turnover and other issues that lead to staffing issues. Proposition FF can make their jobs (and lives) easier, and make sure they can focus on the important part: preparing and serving healthy meals for children.
If Proposition FF passes, what will happen to cafeteria workers?
Despite the sick time provisions in the new JESPA contracts, the staff needs more support; Melanie explained that “I obviously don’t want to come to work sick, but it’s like…you come to work with that cough, or that slight headache that really you’re uncomfortable at work and miserable, it’s better than knowing your staff is sitting there without a sub.”
April had knee surgery last spring, and for six weeks the team was left with the same amount of work, with no substitute for one of their most experienced team members. Melanie was proud of the team. We made it work, my girls are rockstars,” she says. But the stories of Arvada K-8’s dedicated cafeteria workers paint a clear picture: Colorado school food service workers are underpaid, overworked, and need more staff support.
Luckily, voters have a chance to use their ballot this November to give Jefferson County workers, and those in cafeterias across our state, the dignity and respect they deserve. Proposition FF would help ensure these workers make living wages and have the tools and support they need to feed every child and take care of themselves and their own kids.
Not only is the team supportive of each other, even when the work gets hard, but they are also in this work to serve the kids. That’s why they support Proposition FF. Melanie explained that she is “100% for it,” especially after seeing firsthand the positive changes that happened when all students got meals during the time when the federal government paid for them.
What gets these women up in the morning is making sure every single child is fed and ready to learn and thrive, so it hurts these workers when current policies fall short and kids go hungry. Melanie explained that “I see a kid sitting at a table, picking off other kids’ trays….because I can’t find a way around it, we can’t feed that kid.”
The women see Proposition FF as a victory for them on two fronts; both as workers who are passionate about serving kids, and as moms who work hard to put food on the table. As a single mom, Lavonne explained that “money wise, it’s hard” to ensure her kids get what they need, and the pandemic and rising costs of living have only made this a tighter bind for workers like Lavonne.
Voters have the opportunity to take a stand for Coloradan children, families, and workers like the Arvada K-8 cafeteria crew who keep our communities running. Proposition FF presents a historic opportunity to invest in a school lunch economy that nourishes not only children, but Colorado’s workers and local economies.
