Norwin School District’s food service workers are upset over the school district’s offer of annual raises of 20-cents per hour during negotiations on a new two-year contract, the union said.

“We deserve more than a 2o-cent-an hour rise. That offer is an insult,” cafeteria worker Loni Davis told the Norwin School Board Monday.

The school board’s wage offer “is not a fair wage increase” for the district’s cafeteria workers, said Jackie Kucera, chief steward for the 35 members of the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ.

“We need a fair contract for retention and to hire new employees,” Kucera said.

The school district said it has about 54 cafeteria positions, but there are about 17 openings and current employees were working short-handed during the pandemic, Kucera said.

Norwin is offering new cafeteria workers $10.88 an hour, Kucera said, when restaurants such as McDonald’s are offering a starting wage of $15 an hour.

Brian Carlton, school board president, declined to comment after the meeting on the contract negotiations.

“The members feel they stepped up when they were needed during the pandemic … during some pretty dangerous conditions,” said Samuel Williamson, district leader for the SEIU Local 32BJ. The union has sought hourly wage increases of 40-cents, and 50-cents, Williamson said.

The current one-year contract extension expired June 30 and the school district and union do not have another negotiation session scheduled, Kucera said. The school district starts classes on Sept. 8.

“Food service is not an easy job,” Kucera said. “Our job is an essential job that requires certification.”

She said, during that the pandemic, cafeteria employees “worked extra long hours to do what it takes.”

“We served over 100,000 curbside meals in the heat, rain, sleet, snow. We packed over 400 extra meals daily for delivery. We worked through the pandemic, shoulder-to-shoulder,” Kucera said.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)