Pending deal to go before Wilmette Support Staff Union members on Monday

An agreement that has the support of the Wilmette School District 39 and Wilmette Support Staff Union leadership will be put in front of union members on Monday, according to statements from both sides on Thursday.

Details of the tentative deal are not yet public; however, in a statement, D39 School Board President Anne Hart said it is a four-year contract and the board is “grateful that both teams engaged fully in this collaborative process and remained committed to reaching a fair and responsible agreement in support of all.”

Leah Fried, a representative for Wilmette Local 1274, said the Wilmette Support Staff Union is recommending the deal to its members with a vote scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9, the final day before the union’s 183 members were authorized to strike.

Support staff includes school nurses, custodians, paraprofessionals, kitchen staff and more.

The union on Oct. 30 filed a 10-day strike notice with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. This after 11 negotiation sessions with Wilmette D39 leadership since April in search of a new contract. The previous contact expired in August.

The union was seeking higher base wages, more affordable healthcare and more paid holidays. The sides made progress toward a deal over the past week, according to updates Hart sent to the community. While details of the tentative deal remain unclear, Hart wrote in Oct. 28 that the board had increased its wage offers from previous proposals and agreed to some healthcare and holiday requests.

Hart’s previous messages also informed Wilmette parents that if a support-staff strike were to occur school would be canceled for an undetermined amount of time.

The Wilmette Education Association, which represents D39 teachers, called off plans to rally outside of district schools on Friday in support of support staff. In a statement, the WEA said:

‘The Wilmette Education Association is grateful that SSU and District 39 have reached a tentative agreement. We are proud of SSU’s leadership and members for standing strong in their fight for a living wage and fair treatment for every employee they represent.

“The decision now rests with SSU members. We will be following Monday’s ratification vote closely as SSU members decide whether they feel the agreement adequately compensates them for the important work they do every day in our schools. WEA remains in solidarity with our SSU colleagues.”

Stay tuned to TheRecordNorthShore.org as this story develops.

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