The Tinley Park Elementary District 146 teachers’ contract set for approval at Tuesday’s board meeting includes 6% raises over the next five years.
A spokesperson for the union said highlights of the tentative contract include two additional sick days for all staff members, a 3% increase in all stipends, updated safety language “to protect staff,” updated property and damage language and a $2,000 stipend for staff members who don’t opt into district insurance.
The union 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.
“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. “This agreement is a strong step towards that goal. 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.”
The District 146 Educators Council said 72% of union members voted in favor of the contract, and the agreement will be up for a vote by the school board at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the district office, 6611 W. 171st St., Tinley Park.
The agreement follows the union voting to authorize to strike if an agreement could not be reached, with 230 of 232 members in favor of the authorization.
While most contract terms were settled ahead of the strike authorization vote, the teachers union said it was fighting for higher wage increases and more retirement benefits than the district offered. Negotiations began in February, with the union declaring an impasse once the board “started bargaining regressively and stalling over the summer.”
The most recent contract expired July 31. Full details tentative agreement approved by the teachers’ union was not made available, but both sides had publicized their latest offers.
The district’s offer moved wage increases up to 6% for each of the next three school years, while its previous offer included wage increases of 6% for each of the next two school years and 5% for the 2027-2028 school year. The district also made the current retirement incentive a benefit with a 10-year eligibility window, it said.
The teachers union said it would remain firm in advocating for wage increases of 7% each year for the next three school years, which they said was important to counter inflation and struggles teachers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to attract good teachers amid a nationwide shortage.
The district said it was unwilling to match the union’s 7% proposal because wage increases beyond 6% expose the district to financial penalties through the Illinois Teachers Retirement System.
Under the district’s proposed salary increase, teachers starting salaries would have been $52,570. Teachers with master’s degrees would have started 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.
“We are proud of our members, who stood strong and united to get this done, and thankful for our students and families who joined us in calling for real solutions that would ensure a secure, stable future for District 146,” the District 146 Educators Council said. “We are grateful to have reached this agreement and look forward to continuing to collaborate with the Board of Education and administration to give our students the high-quality education they deserve.”
District 146 Superintendent Jeff Stawick declined to comment on contract details Thursday.
