Dist. 88, union construction workers agree to end strike

Union workers returned to their jobs Wednesday morning to continue a $115 million renovation project at Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools.

DuPage High School District 88 Superintendent Steve Humphrey said the district reached an agreement Tuesday night with leaders of International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, after about five days of negotiations.

That union, along with the Laborers' District Council of Chicago and Vicinity, went on strike July 1 in a dispute over pay and benefits with Mid-America Bargaining Association and Excavators Inc. The strike has shut down hundreds of road and other construction projects across the region.

District 88's agreement with the union will keep work moving on projects that include wiring for technology, upgrading sports practice fields, track work and driveway improvements at the high schools in Addison and Villa Park.

In exchange, Humphrey said, the district agreed to use union labor for any projects slated in the next 10 years.

The deal was inspired by a similar agreement reached last week between the two striking unions and Naperville Unit District 203. Under that accord, workers resumed a $87.7 million renovation of Naperville Central High School after the district pledged to use union labor for any projects in the next seven years.

When Humphrey learned of the agreement, he reached out to District 203 officials to learn how District 88 could follow suit.

Now that workers are gearing back up, Humphrey said officials are prioritizing what must be finished before nearly 4,000 students return to classes at the two schools on Sept. 7. Before the strike, construction plans included a push for completion this summer and had construction slotted for every available day until about a week before school starts.

"We lost eight days, and now we must decide what are the hot-button items, " he said "It's an extensive project that does affect everything and we're not going to get everything done (by Sept. 7)."

Willowbrook and Addison Trail have undergone extensive renovations since work began nearly three years ago. The roughly $115 million price tag was funded primarily by a voter-approved tax increase in April 2007 to borrow about $104 million.

Humphrey said key goals before Sept. 7 will include installing elevators at Willowbrook, finishing gym upgrades and air-conditioning systems at both schools, and creating a structure at Addison Trail's administrative center that is currently "completely torn up."

Projects like field upgrades at each school will drop in priority, Humphrey added.

Despite delays, the building dedications still are slated for Oct. 17, which was the district's initial plan.

"We picked that date because we knew there would be potential for some runover projects," Humphrey said.