Unite Here Local 1

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Chicago school board approves lunchroom worker contract raising wages to $21 minimum

Won a four-year contract with a $21 wage floor; members ratified it on Oct. 11, 2026

Chicago's school board voted unanimously on Oct. 22 to approve a four-year contract for the district's lunchroom workers, setting a $21-an-hour minimum for cooks, attendants and porters in Unite Here Local 1. The union says it represents about 1,500 of those workers; Chalkbeat and Hyperlocal Loop put CPS lunchroom staffing above 1,800.

Updated Oct 23