Chicago Board of Education adopts new union contract for lunchroom workers

The Chicago Board of Education recently approved a new four-year contract worth $64.8 million with Unite Here Local 1, the union representing over 1,800 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) lunchroom workers. The contract, which took over a year to negotiate, raises the minimum hourly wage for these workers from approximately $17 to $21, with additional raises tied to years of service.

The agreement also includes a 4% cost-of-living raise for 2026 and a 2.5% increase in 2028. Unite Here members will benefit from retroactive pay increases beginning in June 2025. CPS's current budget, which ends on June 30, 2027, takes into account the contract's costs for the current year. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) criticized CPS for not advocating for additional state funding, as the district may face mid-year budget cuts due to a $10 billion budget adopted in July.

The CTU demanded that CPS allow its members to attend lobbying days in Springfield to push for more state funding, a request the district denied. The CTU also noted that CPS is currently funded at 70% of the state's adequacy level and is expected to face further budget cuts if additional state funding is not secured. Despite the union's concerns, CPS spokesperson Mary Fergus stated that the district will advocate for additional state funding at an upcoming budget hearing scheduled for November 17 and December 1.