Protesters march towards Highland Park High School in protest of labor practices by Sodexo in Highland Park in this October 2010 file photo. SOUTH PLAINFIELD — Otto Veliz was suppose to earn $10.50 an hour as a custodian. That's what his employer, Sodexo, had told the South Plainfield Public Schools in a certified payroll of its grounds keepers, maintenance and custodial staff. Instead, Veliz was being paid $9.75 an hour, according to his pay stubs. The same was true for custodian Blanca Velez — except her pay stubs show she was earning $9.25 a hour.
A slew of similar complaints from workers have prompted talks between district officials and Sodexo management.
"We all felt we were being treated unfairly, especially being underpaid," said Demetrius Brown, a custodian of more than five years.
So far this school year, 30 custodians have lost an estimated $60,000 in wages due to the discrepancies, according to Matt Painter, spokesman for the 32BJ SEIU, which is advocating for a labor union in the school district. On average, they are losing $1.40 an hour, he said.
"This money is not going to the schools. It’s not going to the workers. I think the question is where is it going?" Painter said.
There are 49 workers at South Plainfield Public Schools employed by Sodexo, an international food and maintenance service contractor that has fielded complaints from other school districts. South Plainfield’s district officials met on April 27 with Sodexo vice president of operations Bart Lane to discuss pay discrepancies, board member Steve Bohn said.
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• Highland Park school maintenance workers say Sodexo isn't paying contract wage
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"They (Sodexo) confirmed that they are going to correct that," Bohn said. District administrators received no cooperation from the company’s regional level managers on the issue, so they called on Sodexo’s higher ups such as Lane, who flew from Tennessee for the meeting, said Bohn.
"I think corporate’s like, ‘What’s going on here? Let’s fix this,’" he said.
Worker’s wage documents show at least 10 of the 49 workers in South Plainfield have been earning less than what the company said it was paying them during four recent pay periods.
Acting Superintendent Gary Bowen declined to comment on specific wage issues but said, "We’ve been meeting with Sodexo management on a number of open issues and anticipate an appropriate conclusion shortly."
Company spokesman Greg Yost said, "Sodexo is conducting an investigation into the wage claims raised by some employees at South Plainfield Public Schools."
Last year, Sodexo workers in Highland Park filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board claiming workplace violations and intimidation of workers trying to unionize. That investigation is still ongoing, said Wendy Saiff, a former Highland Park board member who served as board president during that time. Across New Jersey, 66 school districts contract with Sodexo, Painter said.
Following public complaints, some South Plainfield workers, including Brown and Veliz, saw their pay bumped up without explanation. Brown said it shows the company is starting to own up, but noted that their wages are still below the minimum required by the contract.