After close to eight months of negotiation, including the union authorizing a strike, the Tinley Park District 146 Board of Education on Tuesday approved a teacher’s contract that includes 6% raises over the next five years.
The board voted 7-0 in favor of the contract after it was approved by 72% of union membership. In a news release issued Tuesday, District 146 board President Julie Berry said with contract negotiations behind them, district leaders are “moving forward with optimism.”
“While negotiations can be challenging, they reflect the deep commitment we all share to our schools, our students, and our
community,” Berry said. “Together, we look ahead with continued dedication to providing the highest quality education and environment for the students of District 146.”
Teachers will receive retroactive pay reflecting the new contract’s salary terms, as the previous contract expired July 31. During the current school year, teachers’ starting salary will be $52,570. Teachers with master’s degrees will start at $56,300.
The contract for the 2024-2025 school year had teachers with bachelor’s degrees starting at $50,586 and teachers with master’s degrees starting at $54,175.
“Our top priority is to maintain an outstanding learning environment for our students,” District 146 Superintendent Jeff Stawick said in the release. “We look forward to moving ahead collaboratively as one district community.”
In addition to salary boosts, the new contract provides teachers two extra sick days per year for a total of 14, and an additional bereavement day per occurrence. Life insurance that was previously capped at $20,000 will now equal teachers’ annual salaries, the district said.
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The union highlighted a 3% increase in all stipends, updated safety, property and damage language, and a $2,000 stipend for staff members who don’t opt into district insurance. It also successfully removed a requirement that veteran teachers, known a Tier 1 in the Illinois Teacher Retirement System, retire as soon as they are eligible.
While most contract terms were settled ahead of their September strike authorization vote, the teachers union said it was fighting for 7% wage increases over three years and more retirement benefits than the district offered. They said that salary boost was essential to counter inflation and struggles teachers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to attract good teachers amid a nationwide shortage.
Negotiations began in February, with the union declaring an impasse once the board “started bargaining regressively and stalling over the summer.”
“When we started this bargaining process, we knew that teacher recruitment and retention had to be a main focus in order to best serve the students in District 146,” the District 146 Educators Council said in a news release last week. “This agreement is a strong step towards that goal.”
The union statement added: “By removing a limit on when educators must retire, and by bringing compensation closer to neighboring district standards, our district can better compete for teachers looking for jobs and ensure teachers who work here want to stay and build their career in our community.”