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

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

Money Moves Chicago, IL local

Four-year deal covers roughly 1,500 Unite Here Local 1 cooks, attendants, and porters; contract fight began when the old one expired in June 2025.

October 22nd, 2026: Board approves contract unanimously

Overview

Updated Oct 23

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.

Most workers were earning $18.42 an hour or less, the union said. The deal costs $64.8 million over four years and includes retroactive pay back to July 2025, plus $1 or $2 hourly raises for staff with 10 or 20 years of service. CPS closed a $732 million budget gap in summer 2026 partly with state money that is not confirmed, and lunchroom funds in this year's budget are still down 3.5%.

Why it matters

Chicago is testing whether a district short on cash can lift its lowest-paid workers without midyear cuts.

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Key Indicators

$64.8M
Four-year contract cost
Cost of the deal approved Oct. 22, including retroactive pay; CPS described it as nearly $65 million.
~1,500
Workers covered
The union's own count, cited by the Sun-Times. Chalkbeat and Hyperlocal Loop put CPS lunchroom staffing above 1,800.

Voices

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People Involved

PG
Patrick Griffin
Organizing director, UNITE HERE
Lead union voice on the CPS lunchroom contract
 Jesse Hernandez
Jesse Hernandez
Cook at Columbia Explorers Academy, Unite Here Local 1 member
Spoke publicly during the contract fight
MK
Macquiline King
Superintendent and CEO, Chicago Public Schools
Celebrated the lunchroom contract at the Oct. 22, 2026 board meeting where it was approved

Organizations Involved

Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools
School district
Employer of the lunchroom workers; board approved the four-year contract on Oct. 22, 2026

Public school district employing the roughly 1,500 lunchroom workers covered by the new contract.
Unite Here Local 1
Unite Here Local 1
Labor union
Won a four-year contract with a $21 wage floor; members ratified it on Oct. 11, 2026

Chicago hotel and food-service workers' union that also represents CPS lunchroom cooks, attendants, and porters.
Chicago Board of Education
Chicago Board of Education
School board
Approved the contract on Oct. 22, 2026

Governing body of Chicago Public Schools that holds final authority over district contracts.

Timeline

June 2025 October 2026

7 events Latest: October 22nd, 2026 · 3 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Board approves contract unanimously

    Latest Decision

    The Chicago Board of Education votes unanimously for the four-year, $64.8 million deal, raising wage floors and averting a strike.

  2. CPS and union reach tentative deal

    Negotiation

    Workers ratify with 95%+ support; $65M four-year contract sets $21 floor.

  3. Union rallies outside CPS headquarters

    Protest

    Cooks including Jesse Hernandez push publicly for higher wages.

  4. Retroactive checks due

    Payment

    CPS deadline to mail retroactive pay for 2022-25 wage increases to current and former workers.

  5. CPS admits underpaying lunchroom workers

    Disclosure

    District says hourly wages should have risen more under the 2021-25 contract and promises retroactive checks.

  6. Union requests fact-finding

    Labor

    Unite Here Local 1 asks for a neutral third party to investigate the wage dispute, signaling a possible strike.

  7. Lunchroom worker contract expires

    Labor

    The 2021-25 Unite Here Local 1 contract ends; negotiations begin for a new deal.

Scenarios

1

New contract delivers $21 wage floor, scheduled raises for CPS lunchroom staff

Likely Resolves by Aug 31, 2027

Discussed by: Unite Here Local 1 and CPS officials, who both back the ratified deal

The approved contract takes effect with retroactive pay for the expired year, the $21 minimum applies across all covered roles, and the 4% cost-of-living raise lands in summer 2027 as scheduled. This is the likely path — workers ratified with 95% support and both parties have publicly endorsed the deal.

2

CPS budget shortfall forces cutbacks affecting lunchroom workers

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Chicago Tribune budget analysis; CPS officials warned of cuts if state funding doesn't materialize

Unconfirmed state funding that helped CPS close its $732 million deficit fails to arrive. The district warns of midyear cutbacks, and lunchroom staffing absorbs part of the hit — a risk flagged by the Tribune's analysis showing lunchroom funds already down 3.5% in the 2026-27 budget.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

May 2012

CPS lunchroom worker contract (2012)

Chicago's 3,200 lunchroom workers won a five-year contract with wage increases and halted the expansion of frozen, pre-plated meals in schools. The union called it a victory for fresh food and worker benefits.

Then

Workers ratified the contract in April 2012; a Good Food Committee was created giving workers input on menus.

Now

The 2012 deal showed lunchroom workers could win wage and food-quality gains, a precedent the same union pressed again more than a decade later.

Why this matters now

Same union (Unite Here Local 1), same district, same core issue: raising pay for the lowest-paid school food workers alongside food quality.

October 2019

Chicago Teachers Union strike (2019)

The Chicago Teachers Union struck for 11 days over pay, class sizes, and staffing, halting classes across the city. The walkout ended with a five-year contract.

Then

Teachers returned to classrooms; the deal added support staff including nurses and social workers.

Now

The strike established a pattern of CPS labor action over underfunding and low pay for non-teaching staff.

Why this matters now

The 2026 lunchroom fight echoes that dynamic: a union using strike leverage to win wage gains from a district under budget strain.

Sources

(10)
+4
Chicago Sun-Times Chicago Tribune Chicago Public Schools UNITE HERE! Wirepoints Block Club Chicago Hyperlocal Loop Chalkbeat Chicago La Voz (Chicago Sun-Times) Chicago Public Schools