HYDE PARK – Members of the Culinary Craft Association (CCA) and their parent organization, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) gathered at the north entrance of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park to protest a move by the CIA to outsource jobs.
The CIA, pursuant to the union contract, provided six weeks’ notice of their plan to eliminate 17 jobs and outsource the duties of painting, grounds-keeping, and recycling to LCS Facility Management, a non-union firm based in Poughkeepsie.
Protestors show their displeasure to traffic on busy Route 9
Robin Watzka, one of the impacted employees, is the only woman affected
by the college plan.
“The CIA says we have a job offer through the vendor that is coming in; however, from what we are understanding, he offers below living wage,” Watzka said. “It would actually probably benefit us more to go to the unemployment office than it would be to work for the vendor. None of us has any plans as of right now.”
Ray Minew, president of the CCA who works as an HVAC tech at the school, said “this rally is our opening salvo in an effort to fight back against the Institute’s flagrant union-busting and we are prepared to do whatever it takes to save good union jobs in the Hudson Valley.”
Minew was joined by Paul Rembisz, chief shop steward of the CCA who pointed out that the CIA is a tax-exempt organization and their Hyde Park campus has an assessed value of more than $50 million. “The CIA shifts millions in tax liability to the local homeowners. The least they can do is provide a living wage to the women and men from our community that work at the Culinary.”
The outsourcing plan, considered a death-blow by the union, has also drawn criticism from Assemblywoman Didi Barrett and Dutchess County Legislator Joel Tyner. In a prepared statement Barrett said “while I support institutions like the CIA that contribute to the cultural and economic strength of the region, jeopardizing the income and benefits of longtime employees is counterproductive and unacceptable.”
Tyner, the vocal activist was at the rally and blamed CIA President Tim Ryan for killing off jobs. Democrat Tyner jab at Republican Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro and members of the GOP-controlled legislature by pointing out their absence and show of support for the workers.
CIA officials were unavailable for comment.
