D86 continues negotiations with unions

Representatives from Hinsdale High School District 86 and the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association met again Monday in at attempt to reach a new deal for the association’s some 365 members.

Both sides have spent the past two years working on a new contract to replace the last four-year agreement, which expired in June.

“While this work has been slowed at times this year due to COVID-19, the bargaining team — which is composed of eight HHSTA members, three board of education members and three administrators — has been able to make significant progress toward its goal of establishing an agreement that is fair to the teachers and reflects the district’s strong commitment to fiscal stewardship,” a joint statement released Tuesday read.

“The team is optimistic about finishing this important endeavor in the near future and will provide a more detailed update about the new contract when the negotiation process is complete,” the statement concluded.

The last contract provided an estimated annual increase of almost 2.9 percent for faculty (including salary and fringe benefits). Last school year, the starting salary for teachers with a bachelor’s degree and no experience was $55,608. The highest paid teachers, with a master’s degree plus 60 hours and 20 years of experience, earned $136,209.

The district also is in the midst of contract negotiations with the Service Employers International Union Local 73, whose five-year contract expired in June, and the Hinsdale Township High School Support staff, whose five-year contract expires in 2021.

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Pamela Lannom is editor of The Hinsdalean