By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 18 -- After this week's reception and panel discussion in the renovated UN Delegates' Lounge, many have asked Inner City Press when that space, as the UN's bar, and the fourth floor Delegates' Dining Room will “really re-open.”
Both are run by Aramark, which remains the UN's contractor.
And for years now, Aramark has been providing less and less, and worse and worse, service under the contract, with no response from the UN. From high to this low, and slip and fall, is it any wonder this mis-run UN can't solve world problems, even adds to them?
Aramark reduced the Headquarters building cafeteria's hours, now closing at 4 pm, even as the building fills back up. Aramark has now closed the cafeterias across First Avenue in UNICEF and UNDP / DC-1, while continuing to claim that renovation work is ongoing.
Workers for Aramark, many of whom have been furloughed or laid off, confide to Inner City Press they've been told Aramark will not re-open the Delegates' Dining Room for lunch service until... September, preferring to only use the (UN) space for catered events.
And that's it -- the working theory is that Aramark makes big money on catering, because it charges steep prices for outside special events, but makes less on operating retail concessions: the cafeterias, coffee shops, perhaps the Delegates' Lounge bar.
So the UN is allowing Aramark to make their big profits but also allowing them to save money by reducing or eliminating services, and letting them lay off or furlough workers. But the UN makes misleading statements to those supposedly served by its contracts and contractor.
On February 22, the UN said “the UNICEF and DC-1 cafeterias will close to allow renovation work to take place. Both cafeterias will be closed from 3 p.m. on Thursday 21 February 2013 and will reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Friday 15 March 2013.”
On March 14, the UN announced “Due to unforeseen delays in the renovation work being carried out in the UNICEF and UNDC-1 cafeterias, both facilities will remain closed until 8 April 2013.”
On April 5, the UN said, “Due to unforeseen delays in the renovation work being carried out in the UNICEF and UNDC-1 cafeterias, both facilities will remain closed until further notice.”
And so it goes at the UN. Meanwhile, underground, not only is parking shrinking, but the UN Garage Administration is openly telling people they are park wherever they want: “Garage Administration will again allow, when the garage is at full capacity, vehicles to park in areas not normally designated for parking.” Ah, egress..
Again, is it any wonder this mis-run UN can't solve world problems, even adds to them? Watch this site.
