The food service staff at Colby College has been notified that they will be laid off at the end of the school year while the college transitions to a new food service vendor.

Sodexo, a French company with offices in Portland that has provided food services to the Waterville college, notified all 146 campus workers that they will be laid off June 30.

The college selected Bon Appetit, a California company, to provide food services starting in the fall.

Julie Rabinowitz, spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Labor, said a company has to file a notice of mass layoffs to affected municipalities and the state under the terms of the federal WARN Act. The state received the notice May 4.

But it’s likely the people facing layoffs will be rehired by the new vendor, she said.

“Food service employees in colleges are frequently laid off when the school year ends, usually with a rehire start date for late August,” said Rabinowitz in an email. “In this case, because there is a new vendor in the fall, there is no rehire date and a WARN was required.”

The 146 positions range from barista and baker, to executive chef and wait staff.

Rabinowitz said the state’s Rapid Response team will help the affected employees.

This story was amended to reflect the correct date the state received notice of the layoffs.


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