Art Institute of Chicago to Outsource Custodial Staff, 25 Workers Affected

By August 14, the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) intends to terminate its entire in-house cleaning staff, opting to contract GDI Integrated Facility Services, a Canadian company, for these services. This decision will impact up to 25 custodians, including 23 union members from AFSCME Council 31, who will lose their jobs. Both the union and AIC Workers United have criticized this action as a breach of union agreements and have filed a grievance due to insufficient notice. Affected employees will forfeit accrued paid time off, tuition remission, and eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The museum claims this shift will enhance operations, with GDI promising to provide jobs at a minimum wage of $18/hour. A rally is scheduled for July 22. This follows the layoffs at the School of the Art Institute in November 2023, where 20 workers were let go and the Video Data Bank was shut down.