Possible job losses at Reggio's Pizza because of loss contract with CPS

From the Bean Soup Times

Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality's Use Of ("Minority Pass-Thru Company") Is Reason Black-Owned Frozen Pizza Manufacturer Will Be Forced To Layoff 40 Hardworking Employees

Reggio's Pizza takes great pride in delivering an award-winning pizza produced in a state-of-the-art, USDA-inspected,immaculate south side facility to children in Chicago Public Schools, which provides jobs for many hard-working, honest Chicago residents.

For three (3) years running, Reggio's Pizza has won the "Most Preferred Menu Item" in the High Schools, an honor voted by the High School students. So passionate about helping students make health choices, Mr. Clark, President/CEO of Reggio's Pizza and its staff, with the assistance of General Mills, developed a whole wheat pizza crust, in an effort to promote good health among young people, consistent with First Lady Michelle Obama's focus on nutrition and obesity.

But all that may come to an end at the end of this school year, June, 2010 because Chartwells, a North Carolina-based company that up until now contracted with Reggio's to provide the pizzas to middle and high schools, has decided to end Reggio's Pizza contract. "I was led to believe that my contract was being renewed" said Mr. Clark.

Apparently a minority "pass-thru" company will be used to purchase the crust for the pizzas, which will now be assembled by CPS lunch room employees, which will shift costs from Chartwells to the CPS operating budget. Many community and religious groups are very distrubed because not only is this practice definitely unfair and possibly illegal, but will result in more job loss in the Black community, where the jobless rate is already 20-25%.

Read the entire article at http://beansouptimes.squarespace.com/business/2010/5/11/award-winning-reggios-pizza-being-cheated-out-of-a-cps-contr.html