PEORIA – Faced with the possible loss of their jobs, cafeteria workers in Peoria School District 150 have launched a preemptive campaign to save them, with signs around Peoria and informational picketing at school board meetings.
The workers, members of Peoria Federation of Support Staff Local 6099, are among the lowest paid in the school district. Here are pickets at the May 7 board meeting, as photographed by a union representative.
Part time workers earn less than $10 an hour and full time workers less than $20,000 yearly, said Lisa Uphoff, the union field representative.
When the workers last received a 3 percent raise, she said, the amount totaled only $65,000 for everyone.
“They pick and choose where they want to save money,” Uphoff said of District 150.
“They want us to give. I don’t think (workers) would mind if they thought the district was trying to save money,” Uphoff said.
District 150 last year spent nearly $1 million buying property in an abortive attempt to move Glen Oak School to Glen Oak Park. The controversial effort failed after the Peoria Park District nixed the deal.
One of the houses now has been demolished, removing it from the tax rolls. Others may be used to house teachers brought from China to teach Chinese, school officials have said.
Meanwhile, the union’s contract with District 150 expires on June 30. Options under consideration include continuing the current arrangement, with the management contractor Chartwells Schools Dining Services operating the food service with district employees, allowing Chartwells to take over the employees while maintaining the current staffing levels, or letting Chartwells set their own levels, Uphoff said.
The fourth option – going back to a district-managed operation, also could take place, she said.
That was the way the food service operated until a few years ago when the food service management was privatized, while the workers remained as District 150 employees, protecting their pensions and benefits.
Now their jobs, pensions and benefits are on the line, the workers believe.
School lunch programs are supposed to break even, not make a profit. They’re also supposed to provide nutritious breakfasts and lunches to children.
For some, the school food may be the primary meal of the day. Seventy percent of the pupils in District 150 are from low income homes and qualify for free or reduced price meals.
Schools receive government subsidies and commodities to support their lunch programs.
Uphoff said Chartwells has moved toward using more pre-packaged foods and fewer government commodities. They also cut back cereal for breakfast, though it’s available if children ask for it. Otherwise they get a donut, she said.
That can result in children eating a donut for breakfast and a cheeseburger for lunch as their main meals of the day, she said. “That’s not nutritious.”
District 150 also is facing a reported $1 million liability stemming from unfair labor practices filed by Local 6099 and the Peoria Federation of Teachers Local 780.
The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board issued a ruling in favor of the unions last week. The District’s attorney reportedly missed some filing deadlines, but the labor board indicated the unions would win the cases anyway on their merits, said Tom McLaughlin, field representative for the teachers union.
The issue involves payment of health insurance premiums. The district increased the premiums without consulting the joint insurance committee which included the unions.
The district may have to refund a portion of the premiums to the union members, though the amount also could be bargained or a settlement reached.
Sources familiar with a discussion in a recent closed session of the board said the snafu may prompt a new look at the contract with board’s long time law firm.
Board critics have called on the board to bid legal services, though bidding is not required by Illinois law.
--Elaine Hopkins
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