Bolingbrook and Romeoville teachers' union at ‘impasse’ with district on contract talks

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Union teachers and staff and the Valley View School District are at an "impasse" on contract negotiations after their contract ended last week.

What we know:

The superintendent of the district, which includes elementary, middle and high schools in Bolingbrook and Romeoville, said in a statement that negotiations began back in January.

But last month, the union declared an impasse after the district’s most recent offer, Supt. Keith Wood said in the statement.

The union, Local 604 American Federation of Teachers, represents a large portion of the district’s teachers, paraprofessionals, maintenance, nursing staff, security and others.

Their contract ended last Friday, but no further negotiation sessions had been scheduled as of Monday, Wood said.

He added that the district’s latest offer included:

• Wage increase of between 4% and 5% over three years: Wood said the "strong" proposal will keep wages competitive with other local districts.
• 20 additional minutes added to high school teachers’ schedules: The superintendent said the district has "one of the shortest school days for high school students." He said the added time would allow students to take more classes and get more academic help.
• A new insurance plan: Wood said the new plan will maintain the same coverage for 97% of employees and the other 3% can switch to a similar provider or see "small" increases in their deductible and out-of-pocket maximums.

"We believe this is a strong and fair offer for the new contract," Wood said in his statement. "It accounts for the hard work of our employees while also acknowledging our community’s concern over increased property taxes and our obligations as financial stewards for the District. This plan is financially sound, allowing us to continue supporting our school community without resulting in a financial deficit and is economically sustainable."

In a statement, Jared Ploger, the president of the Valley View Council of Local 604 said while many issues have been resolved, the district's Board of Education "has only backtracked, stalled, and demanded a change to the school day that will negatively impact students' well-being as well as district finances."

Ploger added, ""Our union of teachers, paraprofessionals, nurses, security, maintenance staff, and mechanics are standing together for a fair contract and for what’s best for students. Our community saw that at the board meeting earlier this week when more than 500 of us showed up to demand the Board of education take bargaining seriously and work collaboratively to reach an agreement. "

The school year at Valley View began last week.

The contract impasse in Valley View also comes as negotiations continue between nearby Naperville District 203 and the teachers union there.