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  "path": "/wbez-newsletter/2026/04/23/the-rundown-cps-lunchroom-workers-fight-for-higher-wages",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-23T20:45:00.000Z",
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  "textContent": "<p><i>Good afternoon! It’s Thursday, and </i><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/768413295-chickpeas-al-limone-with-burrata?unlocked_article_code=1.dFA.gjp1.egUhuKIPSRJ-&smid=share-url\" target=\"_blank\" ><i><u>this recipe</u></i></a><i> is perfect for my recent obsession with chickpeas. Here’s what you need to know today.</i></p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/04/23/lunchroom-workers-plan-to-block-traffic-as-contract-talks-with-cps-stall\" target=\"_blank\" ><b><u>1. Lunchroom workers plan to block traffic as contract talks with CPS stall</u></b></a></p><p>Kimberly Penson, who has worked for Chicago Public Schools for 21 years and makes an annual salary of about $34,000, says she feels deeply disrespected by the school district’s leadership. She and her colleagues, represented by the union Unite Here Local 1, have been working to negotiate a contract for more than 11 months, my colleagues Sarah Karp and Emmanuel Camarillo report.</p><p>To sound the alarm on what they see as unfair and unequal wages, they are holding a protest this afternoon at which several lunchroom workers plan to sit down and block traffic on a street Downtown as an act of civil disobedience.</p><p>The two biggest sticking points, according to Unite Here: wages and staffing levels.</p><p>Lunchroom workers, among the lowest-paid full-time workers in CPS, want to be paid $40,000 a year. But the cash-strapped district hasn’t agreed to that minimum and is asking a federal mediator to step in.</p><p>“CPS remains committed to reaching a fair and sustainable agreement,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement. “A neutral third party will help ensure that negotiations proceed productively. CPS looks forward to working with the mediator to resolve outstanding issues in the best interest of our employees and the students we serve.” [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/04/23/lunchroom-workers-plan-to-block-traffic-as-contract-talks-with-cps-stall\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears-stadium/2026/04/22/bears-stadium-arlington-heights-property-tax-relief-infrastructure-northwest-indiana\" target=\"_blank\" ><b><u>2. The Bears drew closer to leaving Chicago after the state House passed a bill helping its Arlington Heights bid</u></b></a></p><p>The House voted 78-32 to approve the megaproject proposal, which still needs approval from the Illinois Senate, that would incentivize the Bears to build a domed stadium in Arlington Heights by negotiating payments in lieu of property taxes, known as PILOT, based on assessments. It also directs those funds toward property tax relief for homeowners both near the megaproject and throughout Illinois, my colleagues Tina Sfondeles, Mawa Iqbal and Matt Trunfio report.</p><p>The proposal would put 50% of special PILOT payments into a property tax relief fund that would then be divided 60% toward property tax rebates for homeowners in the district where the megaproject is located and 40% into the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund.</p><p>The project must invest at least $100 million in eligible costs to qualify — and the megaproject developer must enter into an incentive agreement with the local municipality, a project labor agreement with a goal of putting 20% or more of project-related contracts to minority-owned businesses and having the company’s CEO consider the economic benefits the project brings to underserved communities.</p><p>The bill represents the first major legislative step toward ensuring the Bears stay in Illinois in a monthslong tug-of-war between Illinois and Indiana. The thorny details of infrastructure funding for Arlington Heights — which will likely include help for Chicago — must still be dealt with before lawmakers adjourn from the spring session next month. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears-stadium/2026/04/22/bears-stadium-arlington-heights-property-tax-relief-infrastructure-northwest-indiana\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/04/22/garfield-park-conservatory-set-to-open-revamped-childrens-garden\" target=\"_blank\" ><b><u>3. Garfield Park Conservatory is set to open its revamped Children’s Garden</u></b></a></p><p>Kids can once again play among the exotic plants of the Garfield Park Conservatory as the 118-year-old institution reopens its renovated Elizabeth Morse Genius Children’s Garden to the public on May 1. Tickets will be available starting tomorrow.</p><p>After 20 years of wear and tear on the original play area, the conservatory decided the space needed a makeover. Now, five years later, children can enjoy a variety of interactive zones, including a toddler area, an art and nature gallery, and a towering structure called the High-Biscus Climber. The 20-foot net climbing structure provides a panoramic view of the conservatory’s gardens and glasshouses.</p><p>The park district said the new garden, largely funded by private donations, is designed for every child. It includes a play area for children with sensory disabilities to enjoy a quiet space while taking a break from the playtime chaos and a wheelchair-friendly spiral ramp. The conservatory also said kits will be available for visitors who want sound-reducing headphones or other sensory-friendly tools. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/04/22/garfield-park-conservatory-set-to-open-revamped-childrens-garden\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/fashion-style/2026/04/23/wicker-park-retailer-saint-alfred-closing\" target=\"_blank\" ><b><u>4. Wicker Park retailer Saint Alfred, ‘where creatives, athletes and tastemakers all intersected,’ is closing</u></b></a></p><p>In a statement posted on its website and on its Instagram account yesterday, the retailer said it was shuttering but did not specify why. “The time has come to say goodbye,” the post read. “The culture and community of Chicago is second to none and was and will forever be the light that inspires the world. Thank you for it all Chicago.”</p><p>After online music and culture magazine Complex amplified the news earlier this week about the shop’s imminent closure, there was an outpouring of support online. Complex’s April 21 Instagram post drew nearly 700 comments as of Wednesday night, most paying homage to the store and its role in elevating Chicago’s status as a major tastemaker that led to the takeoff of streetwear culture and paved the way for brands like Supreme.</p><p>“That store wasn’t just a store,” said Clarissa Flores, founder and CEO of Lake View sports bar Level Sporting Club. “It was the cornerstone of Chicago’s streetwear culture. It was one of the venues that helped put Chicago on the map in a real way, within the fashion and sneaker culture. It created a space where creatives, athletes and tastemakers all intersected. It wasn’t really a transactional storefront. It was very much a community hub.” [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/fashion-style/2026/04/23/wicker-park-retailer-saint-alfred-closing\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/04/23/chicago-blues-ma-raineys-black-bottom-goodman-theatre-e-faye-butler\" target=\"_blank\" ><b><u>5. Who was Ma Rainey? A play has stoked fresh interest in the groundbreaking Chicago blues diva</u></b></a></p><p>When “Ma Rainey” burst onto the stage on opening night of August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at the Goodman Theatre earlier this month, the crowd erupted in cheers.</p><p>The titular character, deftly portrayed by Chicago actor E. Faye Butler, emerges on stage like a whirlwind. When audiences first meet her in the production, she’s already more than an hour late to a recording session, and she is screaming at her agent about an incident with a police officer.</p><p>As WBEZ’s Mike Davis writes, it’s worth noting the year is 1927. Ma Rainey is a Black blues artist. She’s insisting her white manager inform the white policeman of the level of star he’s dealing with.</p><p>Based in Chicago a century ago and nicknamed “the mother of the blues,” Rainey was a true diva, according to those who’ve studied her, including Edward Komara, distinguished librarian and music librarian at Potsdam State University of New York and author of “Encyclopedia of the Blues.”</p><p>“Ma Rainey was not only as large as her legend but even larger,” he said. “There are accounts of her, that as part of her show, they would wheel out this large fake gramophone player, a record player, and she would pop out from the lid of the record player and start her show.” [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/04/23/chicago-blues-ma-raineys-black-bottom-goodman-theatre-e-faye-butler\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><b>Here’s what else is happening</b></p><ul class=\"rte2-style-ul\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;\" id=\"rte-cec04777-3f4f-11f1-9661-11e78d75cc3a\"><li>The U.S. Senate voted to kickstart the partisan funding process for federal immigration enforcement. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/23/g-s1-118330/congress-dhs-spending-reconciliation\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>NPR</u></a>]</li><li>In a historic shift, Trump reclassified state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/medical-marijuana-rescheduling-justice-department-trump-cannabis-1d6722d3aae122b1a91f8e4b6c690268\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>AP</u></a>]</li><li>Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved a $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/23/nx-s1-5793628/warner-bros-discovery-paramount-skydance-merger\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>NPR</u></a>]</li><li>Millions of Americans may now also be considered Canadian under a new law. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/canadian-citizenship-americans-new-law-5b8f7da8ce6cfea759b85a3577150407?__vfz=medium%3Dstandalone_top_pages\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>AP</u></a>]</li></ul><p><b>Oh, and one more thing …</b></p><p>Today definitely feels like summer, even if it’s still April, but the actual season will arrive soon enough. That includes a packed movie schedule, with Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi alien adventure “Disclosure Day,” Christopher Nolan’s mythic action epic “The Odyssey” and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5.”</p><p>But as former Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Richard Roeper reports, those three “enormously promising” films are just the tip of the iceberg.</p><p>We’re also getting Guy Ritchie’s “In the Grey” (May 15) with Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal; “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” (May 22); “The Death of Robin Hood,” starring Hugh Jackman (June 19); “Supergirl” (June 26); “Minions & Monsters” (July 1); “Evil Dead Burn” (July 24); “Super Troopers 3” (Aug. 7); “Insidious: Out of the Further” (Aug. 21); and “Coyote vs. Acme” (Aug. 28).</p><p>You can see Roeper’s most anticipated picks in the link. [<a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://www.wbez.org/movies-tv/2026/04/23/summer-movies-2026-richard-roepers-10-most-anticipated\" target=\"_blank\" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><b>Tell me something good …</b></p><p>What’s your favorite place to go for a bike ride in the Chicago area, and why?</p><p>Christine writes:</p><p>“The city is beautiful and so I love just riding on the streets. More so during the early morning or late evening quieter times, but even during heavier traffic. Having lived and worked in multiple neighborhoods over the past 30 years I've been able to explore much of the city and surrounding communities on my daily commute. I feel most connected to the city at that pace and at that level, and I'm delighted that the improved safety infrastructure and the Divvy system has made bicycling a viable option for more people.”</p><p>Feel free to email me, and your response may be included in the newsletter this week.</p>",
  "title": "The Rundown: CPS lunchroom workers fight for higher wages",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-23T20:45:00.728Z"
}