Chicago Public Schools began laying off 200 lunchroom workers Friday in the latest round of pink slips issued by the cash-strapped district.
CPS officials said in a press release that the layoffs would save $4 million and are part of “an effort to align school cafeteria staffing with industry standards and to realize budgetary savings.”
Chicago Public Schools announced Friday that an additional 200 cafeteria workers will be the latest to receive layoff notices, pushing to more than 3,000 the number of staff cut this summer.
Over the past few years, the National School Lunch program has become a hot button issue as legislators and the Obama Administration took up the fight against hunger and obesity, two epidemics intrinsically tied to each other and to our food system. In 2012, Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign collaborated with the USDA on new rules to boost the nutritional quality of the meals eaten by school children every day.
A national union representing hospitality industry workers claims Rivers Casino hasn’t been a good neighbor to Des Plaines by not paying its fair share of property taxes.
At the end of the 2012-2013 school year, two of America’s largest school districts, Chicago and Philadelphia, closed a total of 73 public schools between the two cities. Thousands of employees were laid off, including many food service, janitorial and security workers. In Philadelphia alone, 1,202 safety staffers who prevent violence when students aren’t in class, were laid off
UNITE HERE has been in negotiations with Gate Gourmet since May 2012 and was able to reach a possible agreement with the company. The major sticking point during negotiations was a wage increase. Workers are scheduled to vote on the tentative contract this week. The 900 O’Hare Gate Gourmet workers are represented by UNITE HERE Local 1.
Travelers who have purchased a bottle of champagne on a flight leaving Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport within the last four years most likely had their bottle handled by George Means, a 58 year-old lifelong Chicagoan who earns $10.30 per hour.