CPS lunchroom workers say wages are so low they can barely feed their own families

Low wages, high pressure: CPS lunchroom workers fight for dignity in the kitchen

In a city where children are fed daily by over 1,800 unionized lunchroom workers, the men and women behind the serving lines are fighting a different kind of battle. For more than three months, they have been working without a contract, with wages that barely cover their own basic needs.

According to the union representing these workers, Unite Here Local 1, their average salary is $31,000 per year, with many earning as little as $18.42 an hour. Entry-level workers are paid minimum wage, but even those who have worked for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) for years are struggling to make ends meet.

Irma Garcia, a cook at Lowell Elementary School in Humboldt Park, has been working for CPS for 23 years. She is one of the thousands of lunchroom workers who picketed outside the district's Downtown headquarters this week, demanding better wages and working conditions. "I have been to the food bank twice," she said. "Groceries cost too much that sometimes I must choose between food or bills."

Garcia is not alone in her struggles. Nearly half of the lunchroom workers surveyed by the union last month reported struggling to afford basic necessities, including food. In fact, 67% had trouble paying for groceries in the past three months.

The union argues that these low wages are unacceptable given the district's recent national awards for its nutritional program. The CPS serves over 270,000 meals every day at 630 schools, with lunchroom workers at the forefront of providing healthy food to students.

However, staffing levels have been cut significantly over the years, from 3,240 workers in 2005 to just 1,805 today. As a result, kitchens are often understaffed, making it difficult for workers to prepare meals from scratch.

Michael Hopkins, a porter at Oscar DePriest Elementary School on the city's West Side, echoed Garcia's sentiments. "We don't get the respect we deserve from the Board of Education," he said. "We are overworked because of low staff and underpaid to do the work we do."

The district has promised to meet with the union this week to discuss a new contract, but many workers feel that their concerns have been ignored for too long. As Hopkins put it, "If I made the money I need, I'd be able to go to restaurants to have a good meal and not worry about my basic needs." In a city where students are fed daily by over 1,800 hardworking women and men, it's time for CPS to treat its lunchroom workers with dignity and respect.

It's crazy that these unsung heroes are struggling so much on the job They're basically feeding our future generations every day, but they can't even afford to put food on their own plates It's like we expect them to work for pennies and still manage to make a living? No way! The city is all about praising its nutritional programs, but what about the people running those programs? They need better pay and respect too These lunchroom workers are fighting for their dignity, and I'm totally with them We should be supporting our hardworking public servants, not exploiting them. It's time for CPS to step up and give its employees a decent contract

I'm seeing this and it's just heartbreaking. These people work so hard behind the scenes to feed thousands of kids every day, but they're struggling to make ends meet themselves. It's unacceptable that they're paid barely enough to cover their basic needs, let alone have any kind of financial security. The fact that staffing levels have been cut and kitchens are often understaffed just makes it harder for them to do their jobs. And now the union is fighting for dignity in the kitchen? It's time for CPS to listen and treat its lunchroom workers with the respect they deserve.

man this is crazy they're making ppl work in kitchen 24/7 with minimal pay and no contract lol what r we even doing here? i mean i get it ppl need the cash but come on $18.42 an hour thats not even a livin wage you gotta wonder whats the real reason they dont wanna give these workers a good contract maybe its bc they dont want to admit how much money the schools r making off these kids

You know, I was reading this article about the CPS lunchroom workers struggling to make ends meet and I couldn't help but think... we often take people who are doing our jobs for us, like our servers at restaurants or grocery store cashiers, for granted . We assume they're just going to be happy with whatever little wage they get because they need the job, but what if that's not true? What if they deserve better and we're just not willing to pay up ?

It's like, we want these people to do their best work for us, but in return, we don't want to give them a decent living wage . It's time for us to rethink that approach. We need to value the hard work and dedication of our service industry workers and pay them accordingly .

I mean, think about it... these lunchroom workers are cooking healthy meals every day for thousands of kids who rely on their program . That's a tough job! They deserve respect and fair compensation for their efforts . We can't just keep treating them like they're disposable workers because that's what's easy or convenient .

Let's try to do better, right? Let's start valuing the people who are doing our jobs for us and paying them a living wage . It might cost a little more, but trust me, it'll be worth it !

I'm literally so touched by these lunchroom workers fighting for their rights . $31k a year is basically minimum wage, and they're expected to prepare meals from scratch in understaffed kitchens? It's just not fair, you know? They're the ones who are making sure our kids get healthy food every day, and this is how we treat them?

I mean, I've been there too with my own bills and expenses, but at least I had a safety net. These guys don't even have that luxury. It's like they're invisible, just providing a service without any recognition or support. That grocery bank trip Irma shared? Yeah, it's unacceptable. We need to raise our collective voices for these workers and demand better wages, working conditions, and respect

I feel bad that these amazing people who are literally feeding our future generations are being treated like that... I mean, $31k a year is barely enough to cover basic needs, let alone have some savings or actual disposable income . And the kicker is they're understaffed so they can't even do their jobs without breaking a sweat? It's like CPS wants them to be super heroes who work 100-hour weeks for minimal pay . Can you imagine working that much and not being able to afford food? I mean, I know I'm lucky with my job and all, but seriously, gotta give it up for these lunchroom workers who deserve so much more than they're getting

You know what really gets me? I was at the food court the other day and saw this sign that said "Free Wi-Fi". Like, why do they need to advertise that? It's not like you're going to a fancy restaurant or something. And it made me think about how some of these lunchroom workers can't even afford groceries, let alone have a decent meal out because they're making so little. I mean, $18 an hour is basically minimum wage and doesn't even cover the cost of food. It's like, come on, CPS needs to step up their game and pay these people a living wage