More than 40 school food workers, carrying signs and chanting “they say go away…we say no way” formed an informational picket in front of the school administration building Tuesday afternoon although they aren’t employed by the city.

“They’re a multi-billion dollar company and they’re trying to eliminate affordable health care for our workers,” said Andrew Tillett-Saks an organizer with Local 217 of UNITE HERE. The local represents about 3,000 school lunch, hotel and casino workers in the region including about 60 full and part time Warwick school food workers employed by Sodexo. The largest private purchaser of food in the country, Sodexo was awarded a contract to operate school department food operations in August, replacing Chartwells that was the department vendor for eight years.

Employees working for Chartwells were retained by Sodexo, however, their contract expired in August and the union and the company have not been able to reach an agreement.

Tuesday’s picket lines, Tillet-Saks said, were aimed at heightening awareness of the plight of the food service workers and win the sympathy of school administrators and the school committee in their effort to win a fair contract.

It is hard to imagine that happened, as top-level school administrators weren’t present to see the demonstrations or talk with them. School department employees knew of the picketing before it occurred and the only communication between the department and union representations was for the picketers to move their cars from spaces reserved for department employees, which they did.

Core to union issues are increased demands for output without adjustment in pay that ranges from just over $11 to slightly more than $14 an hour and an increase on co-payment on health insurance premiums.

Carol Kennedy, head cook at Winman where 1,300 to 1,500 meals are prepared daily for that school as well as nine elementary and two high schools, called “the work load unrealistic.” She said as a Chartwells employee crews were expected to prepare two choices of meals and now they are preparing twice that.

“There’s twice as much work for the same (pay) and if they had their way it would be less,” she said. She said many employees are absent because of stress or injury. Kennedy said Sodexo is offering too many choices and requiring employees to do such things as filling individual servings of condiments when pre-packaged items were previously used.

Asked about the quality of the food and whether she has seen a difference, Kennedy said the quality is good although she hears numerous complaints over the whole-wheat dough used for pizzas. Students don’t like it.

Kennedy’s major concern and that of others on the picket line is Sodexo’s demand that employees cover 20 percent of their health care premiums.

“I need medical benefits,” Kennedy said. A single mother, Kennedy said one of her children requires medical attention and to top it off she is paying a mortgage and Warwick taxes. She put her pay at about $400 a week. And she estimated the cost of her health insurance at about $1,700 a month. She is currently paying about $15 a week in co-pay that would jump to $340 a month under the Sodexo proposal.

“I deserve to be paid for the work and I work hard. I’m really proud of the food the kitchen puts out,” she said.

Gregory Yost, a spokesman for the company issued the following statement: “Sodexo is committed to bargaining collectively with UNITE-HERE Local 217 and believes it is in the best interest of all parties to allow that process to take its course. Sodexo is confident that an agreement that is satisfactory to all parties will be reached through continued negotiations.”

Sodexo, Chartwells and Aramark submitted proposals to run the department’s food services. A three-member review committee weighed the proposals not only in terms of cost but on an extensive range of other elements including financial stability, demonstrated ability and experience, evidence of nutrition education awareness, sanitation programs and management staffing. Aramark was knocked out of the evaluation process for failing to provide a detailed financial statement. In the end Chartwells projected income of $2,726,770 and expenses of $2,687,258 for a profit of $38,512. Sodexo projected income at $2,893,732 and expenses of $2,769,430 for a profit of $124,302. The city contract with Sodexo is for one year with an option to renew for an additional four years.

In addition to the kitchen at Winman, Sodexo operates the kitchen at Pilgrim. Food for the entire school system is prepared at the two kitchens and transported to outlying schools.

Tillet-Saks said the union has not brought charges against Sodexo to the National Labor Relations Board and that it continues to have talks with the company. He would not say whether this might be a prelude to a strike.

He said the aim of Tuesday’s action was to bring “a message that we’re not going to tolerate this disrespectful treatment. I have every confidence that the school committee will insist on fair treatment to workers.”

Leonard Flood, director of school business affairs, called the dispute an issue between employer and employee.

He said it is no different than if the department was buying something from an outside vendor.

“That’s strictly between them we don’t get involved,” he said. If, however, conditions affects Sodexo’s performance the department would contact the company.

The action found little sympathy with many school administration workers who as members of the Warwick Independent School Employees union have been without a contract for three years. They continue to work under the terms of their former contract and haven’t received a raise in three years, although the department is paying the full premium of their health insurance.