Municipal and School Annual Report 2008
Contract Fights
City of Waukegan
On October 16, our members took the first successful strike authorization vote after management gave their final offer regarding the contract. After realizing what they were facing, management stood down and came back to the table. We negotiated a great contract for our members as a result, which includes a stronger grievance procedure, a bill of rights for our
membership, and major gains for our dispatchers.
Park Ridge Park District
Our brothers and sisters at the Park Ridge Park District have been organized since 2005. They have been fighting for their first contract ever since. The Park District Commissioners refuse to budge on merit pay and insurance. We maintain that a merit based pay system cannot work and that annual cost of living raises should be implemented. The Commissioners give raises based on who they like and not on job performance.
After two years of this treatment, we have thrown down the gaunlet. Our members have rallied outside of the Commissioners' board meetings and voted Park Ridge the Year's Worst Employer for 2008. Our members are also supporting candidates in the local election that believe in the fair treatment of workers. The fight will not stop until a fair contract is reached and our members get the justice they deserve.
Oak Park River Forest High School
One of our other contenders for Year's Worst Employer, OPRF offered our Buildings and Grounds members a one year deal with a 16 to 20% pay cut, an increase in insurance contribution, and evaluations that can take vacation time away from our members. Management has also started talking about privatization. We will continue the fight in Oak Park until we can secure our members' jobs and get them the compensation they deserve.
Bargaining and Employee Representation
Park District of Oak Park
A four year agreement was reached that saw our Oak Park members receive substantial pay raises over the life of the contract. We also gained three hours of pay for being on call and five hours minimum for any call back to work.
Hinsdale Management
Our members are receiving seven percent raises across the board in the first year of the contract. In addition to this raise, one dollar an hour will be placed into their National Industry Pension Fund.
Maywood Clerical and Technical
Our members received four percent across the board for four years, longevity increases, and a family plan for retireee health insurance. We also stopped management from contracting out part- time work. Thank you to Tony Parker, Geraldine Armstrong, and Lorrain Waller for their help.
North Chicago
Only a few minutes before we were going to set up the rat for our Martin Luther King demonstration, management decided to continue negotiations with us! Since then, our members received a $200 signing bonus, upgrading the entire unit three steps over the life time of the agreement, increases for 2009, a 2010 wage re-opener, and adjusting of the contract language that was beneficial to our members. Congratulations, North Chicago! You are living proof that union action works!
Morton High School District 201
For the nurses, we settled a four year agreement with wages being the key issue. The Union and District came to an agreement with significant raises the first year and subsequent raises in the following years. We also guaranteed 10 additional non-school days be added to their work and certain overtime assignments at nurse's salary. Thanks to Charmane Kusper for her hard work.
Our members in the security unit settled a four year agreement that netted the members five percent increases per year and changes to the contract language that guaranteed over time. Thank you to Chuck Marose, John Wagner, and Jan Drowns.
Teachers' Aides agreed to a new four year agreement with a 6.2% pay increase plus two new stipends for any member of our unit who qualifies for it. Thank you to Nancy Wegner, Jackie Paramo, Judy Salerno, and Anel Olivares for their help.
Arlington Heights School District #25
Our members will be receiving up to 18% over the next five years. We also agreed on time-and-a-half for over eight hours in one day, double time pay after 12 hours in a day, and all Sundays for maintenance. Our members will now get an additional amount of money for a boot allowance. New employees will be provided with uniforms, and all uniforms will be replaced as needed. The seniority articles in the contract were completely rewritten establishing a set of criteria for promotions, terms of layoff and recall, and posting of job vacancies. The grievance procedure was also reworked. This year, we also kept the word privatization out of the mouths of management, and increased the number of full time custodial positions.
Lyons Clerical
Our members bargained for nearly 25% in increased wages over five years. They also were able to increase the clerical unit's vacation by one week.
Elgin School District U-46
Just cause with progressive discipline was the most
important item our members wanted to add to their
contract in District U-46. Along with wage increases, our members were able to take back some of the give backs from the prior contract including: the day after
Thanksgiving, increase in funeral leave, summer hours, and a 20% retirement incentive. Congratulations on the take backs!
Waukegan School District 60
All of our members in District 60 will receive a four percent increase in their wages for the 2008/2009 school year. Wage reopeners were also negotiated into the contract.
West Aurora School District 129
Our transportation members in West Aurora have successfully negotiated for a bid process. After our last negotiations, our members in West Aurora are also the highest paid in the area.
Harvey School District 152
Our members concluded their contract negotiations last year. According to the new agreement, employees will pay less for insurance and will receive wage increases.
Bridgeview Public Works
Bridgeview members were able to reach a new agreement for our members which includes better than four percent wage increases for each of the four years of the contract. Our members also bargained for an added holiday and an increased boot
allowance.
Carpentersville Public Works
After a year of negotiations, our members in
Carpentersville reached an agreement! The new contract includes a seven year pay step which is higher than the previous top in year one and two. All other wages were increased by 3.5% for the first three years and 4% for the final year. Employee contribution towards the health care premiums did increase, but came with a limit of 15%.
Oak Park Public Works
Members in the public works settled on a three year contract. Over the life of the agreement, our members will receive pay increases of 13%. Thanks to steward Mike Aguayo for all his help.
Oak Park River Forest High School
With the help of our Union Stewards in OPRF, we saved John Bokems' job by having him take the sumer off to reflect on his actions during the school year. Jose Morales' suspension for excessive sick time use was removed because his sons were sick. Our members at OPRF still have a huge fight against privatization ahead of them. For more information, see page 5.
Morton College Police
We settled our contract with a 7.24% increase in the first year and 4.25% in each of the next three years of the contract. We also added longevity pay to the contract. Thanks to our Unit Chair Loius M Kiriazis and our bargaining team members Bob Moravecek and Yolanda Gutierrez.
Oak Park District 97
Our Oak Park members settled a three year deal with a total wage increase of $2.45 per hour over the life of the contract. Thanks to John Reardon, Ron Helm, Chris Francis, Bill Novek, and Rodney.
Fenton High School District #100
Our members agreed to wage increases for each year of the contract, adding longevity and differential to the base pay. Thanks to Unit Chairman Chuck Federichi and our Bargaining Team Wally Glump and Chuck Marchese.
Calumet Memorial Park District
Local 73 and Phil Kekelik, our steward at Calumet Memorial, renegotiated the contract this past year. The members agreed to a three year extension of their current contract with equitable wage increases over the life of the agreement.