Several ISU Dining employees attended the Inter-Residence Hall Association meeting Thursday night in the Gold Room of the Memorial Union to express their discontent with the prospect of the privatization of campus dining service.

Debbie Haggard, ISU Dining employee, said she recently celebrated her 49th birthday and it is possible she could be looking for another job by her 50th.

“I thought I would be here until I retire,” Haggard said.

“I started thinking about how much I was going to miss everybody. I mean, I almost started crying.”

Another food service employee voiced concern that privatization would mean lower wages.

“The money available to me when I was going to school is the same that is available to you now, but it’s not enough,” said Jon Mustaine, ISU Dining employee.

“I’ve seen the tuition go higher and higher and if we privatize the dining, they’re probably going to cut the pay and then the students won’t be able to pay for college.”

Other employees were concerned about the possible loss of a positive work environment.

“I was an employee at the UDCC last year and the workers there genuinely cared about us,” said Nathan Ross, sophomore in civil engineering.

“There was never a time when I felt bossed around.”

Mustaine said the cafes on campus are unique because the workers listen to what the students want and help them get it.

“If you want egg salad sandwiches, we’ll get them – they have a horrible shelf life, but we’ll get them to make that one person happy,” Mustaine said.

Brian Lapcewich, freshman in engineering, said the current dining services are much healthier and give the students more options.

He said he doubted that selling it to a private organization would be nearly as good.

“Privatizing would be a joke,” he said. “They privatized at my old high school and if I had to eat three meals a day there I would have gained 20 pounds.”