Houston Listening to the reports in our all day, all union staff meeting in Houston, one caught my ear because at first couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Local 100 of the United Labor Unions has represented the bulk of the Houston support workers in the Houston Independent School District for over 18 years.  The last 8 we have been in a death match trying to get rid of Aramark and its anti-worker, anti-child policies.

But the facts are the facts, and several days ago we had publically announced that it was more nutritious for school children in Houston to eat a bag of M&M candies for breakfast that the eggs and biscuit concoction being served, assembly line style, by Aramark.  Startled I asked Alain Cisneros, our Houston lead organizer, and Orell Fitzsimmons, 100’s Field Director, who had done the research.  They chuckled.  Anyone could have done it.  Just look at the information on the package of M&M’s and the disclosure that Aramark was being forced to make on the school breakfast.

Sure enough!  The amount of “white death” or salt, as it is commonly know, in the eggs was amazing.  The cholesterol and calorie count both beat M&M’s by a mile.  Looking at the numbers, it was easy to see how parents could become as outraged as our members; this was just nasty, and as counter intuitive as it might seem, there really was no doubt.  Candy was not only quicker, it was healthier!

What does it take to fix something so obviously wrong?