Chicago Public Schools lunchroom workers gathered outside the Chicago Board of Education downtown Monday morning.

They were set to march outside the Board of Ed building at 42 W. Madison St. beginning at 10 a.m., in a fight for UNITE HERE Local 1 said was a need for better wages and fully staffed kitchens.

UNITE HERE Local 1 said the lunchroom workers have been without a contract for more than three months.

The union said the workers are the lowest-paid employees in the CPS school system, and nearly half of them struggle to afford basic necessities.

The union said a report it delivered to the Board of Education last month found that 51% of lunchroom workers plan to relocate soon due to high housing costs, 55% have trouble paying for heat and electricity, and 22% have had to visit food banks with their families.

As of June of this year, lunchroom workers made $18.42 or less an hour, the union said. Staffing levels for CPS lunchroom workers have fallen 16.8% since 2019, the union said.