Schools
D228 Teachers Face Possible Pay Freeze, Increased Health Care Costs
If approved by the D228 Board of Education, a new contract for Bremen District 228 teachers would mean a pay freeze and increased employee contribution for health care. The contract goes before the board on Sept. 18.
teachers agreed to a pay freeze and increased health care contributions, as conditions of a new contract. The teachers approved the three-year contract Aug. 28.
The agreement comes after months of negotiations between the Joint Faculty Association and the district.
The contract calls for a three-year “pay freeze,” according to JFA President Kathleen McKneely, although Superintendent Bill Kendall said that isn't entirely accurate.
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“It's complicated, you look at it as a three-year freeze,” Kendall said. “It's a three-year contract, year one is a hard freeze, so no monies are increased. In year two and year three, the teachers get their step. So in year one it's a hard freeze, in years two and three, we call it a soft freeze.”
Kendall explained that teachers generally get a 'step' in pay increase every year, generally between $1,700 and $2,800 according to the previous contract, as outlined on page 65, depending on what lane a teacher is in. Kendall said that there will be no 'step' taken in year one of the new contract, although in years two and three the step is available.
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“Everything is exactly the same in year one,” Kendall said. “Then, they'd get a step of experience in year two and three. It comes out to be a pay increase.”
Kendall said that the numbers for teachers will remain exactly the same as the previous contract.
Also in the contract, Kendall said that teachers will pay more for health care, although he would not specify exact amounts.
“They're going to pick up more on the health insurance side,” he said. “I don't want to cause any controversy between us and them, it'll be posted in the salary schedule in the next contract."
Kendall declined to expound on the issue, stating that the board has yet to approve the contract.
The board will consider the contract at its Sept. 18 meeting. With the board's approval, the contract will then go into effect the following day.
“As soon as the board signs off, that becomes the official contract,” Kendall said.
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