District 50 contract talks progressing

The administrators and teachers union representatives who are negotiating a new contract have reached a tentative agreement on financial issues, officials with Gurnee-based Woodland Elementary District 50 and the Woodland Council union said in a joint news release Friday. Other unspecified issues still need to be debated, however. A mediation session is set for Wednesday, Oct. 28, District 50 spokeswoman Jennifer Bova said. Bova declined to identify any of the financial issues that have been settled. Salary and benefits are among the key issues in the contract talks, officials have said. About 780 members of the Woodland Council union have been working without a deal since the academic year began in August.