Overview
- Police issued roughly two dozen tickets to lunchroom workers and supporters after Thursday’s rush-hour sit-in outside Chicago Public Schools headquarters.
- Both CPS and UNITE HERE Local 1 confirmed they will work with a federal mediator after about 10 to 11 months of stalled bargaining over a new contract.
- The union seeks pay near $40,000 a year and more staff, pointing to starting wages under $17 an hour and cafeterias often run by one or two people.
- CPS says it has proposed raises and faces a $520 million budget gap, with officials outlining a $20-an-hour floor by August as the union cites a $19 offer for 2026–27.
- The district has about 20% fewer lunchroom workers than five years ago, and surveys report many struggle to cover basics because most are hourly and do not get paid over school breaks.