A tentative 3-year contract deal has been reached between the Woodland Elementary District 50 Support Staff Council and the Board of Education, capping six months of negotiations.
The sometimes difficult bargaining was marked by informational picketing and a strike vote in late October.
Details of the tentative agreement reached late Tuesday will not be released until both sides ratify the deal. The union will vote next Tuesday. The board is scheduled to vote on the deal at its meeting Dec. 28.
The agreement covers more than 135 secretaries, teachers assistants, custodians, maintenance workers, student supervisors and bus drivers.
“I’m pleased that negotiations are completed,” said Lynn Patterson, president of the Woodland union. “Our members have been working without a contract since July. I think both sides realized it was time to settle.
“With the holidays approaching,” Patterson said, “our members can enjoy them without having to worry about the status of their contract.”