Nearly 1,000 laid off as food service company loses USF contract

Food service provider Aramark will lay off 949 employees at the University of South Florida later this year after losing its contract with the school.

The company announced the job cuts in a letter to state officials posted on Florida’s Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification website Wednesday.

According to the letter, the job cuts will begin June 18 and that hourly employees scheduled for summer layoff after the spring semester or on seasonal leave will not be recalled to work.

The company, however, did say in the letter that “it is our understanding that most displaced workers typically have continued employment opportunities with the incoming provider.”

USF announced in October that Compass Group would take over dining and facility management at the university beginning this summer. The agreement, according to a statement issued at the time, is projected to be worth nearly $320 million in cost savings and additional revenue over the next 15 years.

When Compass was announced the university said current employees “will be given the opportunity to remain in their current roles with total compensation that is equal to or better than what they receive today.”

On Wednesday, a USF spokesperson did  not say how many of the 949 food service employees included in the layoff notice will remain on the job.

As for Aramark, a spokesperson says in an email that the company is working with impacted employees to access other job opportunities within Aramark.