The board and teachers union in Community Consolidated Elementary District 181 continue to negotiate the next teachers contract.
“As you may know, negotiations take a great deal of time to ensure that both parties come to a consensus on a variety of topics. The board of education/district and the teachers’ association have been in conversations since January,” according to a joint statement released late Tuesday afternoon by the board and the Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Teachers Association leadership. “We have made tremendous progress and strides and have reached agreements on numerous key items. Unfortunately, not all remaining issues have been resolved.
“Therefore, in an effort to bring resolution to the remaining issues, both parties have agreed to engage with a mediator to assist with the remaining items,” the statement continued. “The negotiations with the mediator were initiated prior to the start of the school, and two additional meetings are scheduled in the next two weeks.
Both sides hope to reach a final agreement soon.
“In the meantime, our certified staff received an increase in their salary based on the previous contract, and health benefits have not been disrupted,” the release states.
The last contract was ratified in November 2019. It provided an annual average salary increase of 2.55 percent over the four-year term. The lowest and highest salaries for 2022-23, the fourth and final year of the contract, were $50,871 and $124,621, respectively.
— by Pamela Lannom
