By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
LITTLE VALLEY — Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, residents of The Pines Healthcare and Rehabilitation Campus in Machias will have their meals prepared by employees from Good Times of Olean.
That’s when 17 kitchen employees, members of the Cattaraugus County CSEA General Bargaining Unit, will lose their jobs.
Cattaraugus County Legislature Chairman Andy Burr, R-Gowanda, sponsored the resolution awarding the Machias Pines food service bid to Good Times of Olean with a resolution introduced for immediate consideration on Aug. 28. It was unanimously approved without comment.
Immediate resolutions allow the legislature to push through legislation with minimal public comment as long as two-thirds of the legislature support the resolution.
County lawmakers accepted the bid of Good Times of Olean on Aug. 28, following an earlier negotiating session that day with union officials.
One union official said the union had been told on Aug. 28 that no decision had been made on the county’s proposal to contract out food services.
Three hours later, the same union officials discovered that the immediate resolution sponsored by Burr would be voted on that evening — three hours after they had been led to believe no decision had been made.
The union official who said they thought that replacing the Machias kitchen staff was “cold and sneaky,” has since declined to reply to questions posed by the Olean Star including whether the union offered concessions.
Two bids meeting specifications were received out of 11 requests for bid proposals sent out.
Good Times of Olean LLC will receive a rate of $28.10 per day per resident and $6 per meal for employees and visitors for traditional tray service. For personal directed dining service the cost will be $28.95 per resident per day.
The contract will be in effect to Aug. 31, 2026. At that time, the county will have the option of two additional one-year contracts extending to Aug. 31, 2028.
