Secretaries, other support employees have new deal in District 220

Nearly a year of negotiations have ended with Barrington Area Unit District 220 custodians, secretaries and other unionized support employees receiving annual raises under a four-year contract.

Barrington School Employees Organization members will receive annual base raises of 1.5 percent and 2.1 percent in the first two years of the contract retroactive to July 1, 2017. The roughly 400 union members will get a 2.1 percent pay hike in the third year. They won't get any base pay increase in the fourth year, but their annual "step" increases for longevity will result in an average 2.58 percent increase in the fourth year.

Full- and part-time employees including custodians, secretaries, administrative assistants, school nurses, technology assistants and building receptionists had been working without a contract since June 30, 2017.

District 220 board members voted 6-0 in favor of the contract at a meeting this week. Board members Angela Wilcox and Sandra Bradford, who were on the district's negotiating team, hailed the deal that took about 11 months to finalize.

"It was a very respectful negotiation," Wilcox said. "It was very collaborative in nature. I think that we had certain concerns, they had certain concerns. We listened to each other. We worked together and I think we negotiated a great agreement for the community, for the district. This is going to serve the students really well, as well."

Bradford said the agreement extending to June 30, 2021, will benefit a dedicated employee group.

"While it took a long time to get through it, it really was a good experience to spend time with that group of people. And I appreciate all the hard work and effort that they put in," Bradford said.

Union members ratified the collective bargaining agreement on April 28 before it went to the school board. Jason Bryant, communications chair for the Barrington School Employees Association, and union local President Steve Underwood did not return messages seeking comment Friday.

Contract negotiations between the district and the support employees have not always been smooth.

In 2014, about 75 support workers stood in silent protest outside the school board meeting room to draw attention to a stalemate in contract talks. The protesters lined up in a way that forced District 220 officials to walk past them to enter the room.

Support employees, upset with they said was a lack of progress on a contract in 1996, rallied and held an informational picket near Main Street and Eastern Avenue in Barrington.