Schools

Elwood Custodians, 'Paras' and Board Agree on Contracts

Will freeze salaries and stops for the next year for the school district employees.

The Elwood Paraprofessional Union and the Elwood Board of Education have agreed upon the terms for a new contract that will freeze salaries and steps for the next year. 

This three-year agreement, coming just a week after the Elwood custodial unit agreed to significant contract concessions, adds another 50 Elwood employees to the staff who are doing their part to help the district’s children and residents. 

Most paraprofessionals in Elwood are community residents who generally work part-time, supporting our programs for students by assisting staff, working in the cafeterias, and helping students with special needs. 

The new agreement calls for a complete freeze with neither overall nor step increases for the 2011-12 school year.  The initial year is followed by two additional contractual years that will not increase salaries and longevity above 2% in each year and may be lower, depending upon implementation of a state tax cap, and it freezes step increases in both additional years as well. It should also be noted that this agreement represents the entirety of the increase in compensation.  

Last week, the Board of Education came to an agreement with the district’s custodial and maintenance employees, represented by the United Public Service Employees Union, who agreed to a contractual concession that will reduce their increase in pay by half next year.

For the 2011-12 school year, the custodial and maintenance staff will receive an increase of 1.625%, followed by two additional contractual years that will not increase salaries above 2% in each year and may be lower, depending upon implementation of a state tax cap. It will save the district money in 2011-12, and solidifies a fair and reasonable labor agreement for the subsequent two years that is tied to evolving economic conditions.

It should also be noted that this agreement represents the entirety of the increase in compensation.


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