District 181 Board approves four-year support staff contract with 3.5 percent annual raises

Dec. 11--Annual salary increases of 3.5 percent highlight a new four-year contract that was approved Monday by the Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Elementary District 181 Board for the Hinsdale Educational Support Staff.

The new deal is retroactive to July 1 and runs through June 30, 2022. The previous contract took effect July 1, 2015 and included salary increases of 4 percent in 2015-16, and 3.5 percent in 2016-17, and 2017-18.

The District 181 negotiating team worked to develop a compensation package that recognized the valuable work of staff while being mindful of the economic challenges facing the district, according to a statement from the district.

"This contract reflects our respect and appreciation for the professionalism of HESS staff and the high-quality learning environment they help to create in all of our schools, for all of our students," board President Jennifer Burns said.

The employees represented include accounts payable bookkeepers, instructional assistants, nurses, science center assistants, secretaries, substitute callers and help desk technicians. Also represented are those working in the areas of buildings and grounds, such as maintenance, grounds, deliveries, building engineers and custodians.

Lorna Galandak, president of the staff group, said in the statement that the group was very pleased that a contract settlement had been reached after a long negotiations process.

"We look forward to continuing to put kids first," she said.

Representatives of the Hinsdale Educational Support Staff and the district started working together on contract language in late fall 2017 and began meeting on the financial aspects of a new deal in late spring 2018, said John Munch, assistant superintendent of human resources.

Along with the 3.5 percent annual salary increases, the new contract also calls for increases of 1.75 percent for starting salaries.

Contract changes in health insurance contributions by support staff depend on three factors: whether the employee is a new or current employee; whether the plan selected is HMO or PPO; and whether the employee is enrolling in an individual or family plan, said Jamie Lavigueur, the district's director of communications.

For new employees, the contract calls for them to pay a flat percentage rate of 18 percent for both individual and family plans for the HMO option and 18 percent for individual and 25 percent for the family plan for the PPO.

Employees paid 9 to 18 percent in the last year of the previous contact, depending on the insurance they chose.

For current employees, HMO caps are increasing by $400 over the course of four years, and PPO caps will increase by $1,250 over the same period.

Lavigeuer said the contract also implements a phase-out of salary increases, beyond the typical employee raises, for those in the retirement track.

In its place, there is a post-retirement one-time cash payout of $15,000, which is more than what the salary increases would total, but less than the district's cost to fund the increased pension amount, Lavigeuer said.

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