On May 24, after repeatedly rejecting proposals from Aramark that would have given bonuses for new hires while doing nothing for current workers, UE Local 1121 won a $1.35 across-the-board wage increase for everyone in the La Crosse facility. As they explained in their newsletter, “Aramark management prefers signing bonuses because they are paid out in a lump sum that does not increase our hourly base wage and does nothing to address the rising cost of living. Our union prefers increases that increase our wages which continue to grow and compound with time.”

In Connecticut, UE Local 222-88 was recently able to negotiate a mid-contract pay raise of $1.10 an hour for paraprofessionals who work for the Branford Board of Education. The school district was having trouble hiring and retaining paraprofessionals, so the Sublocal 88 took the opportunity to argue for higher wages.