U-46 won't let clerical workers combine jobs for benefits any more

Clerical workers in Elgin Area School District U-46 will no longer be able to combine jobs to get health insurance benefits.

Helping teachers with copying and preparing teaching materials and tests, clerical workers are provided to teachers through terms of their current union contract.

According to the terms of that contract, one clerical is available per 25 teachers for the equivalent of three hours each day.

But often, district attorney Pat Broncato said, clerical workers pick up other positions to work at least 20 hours per week, which qualifies them for district medical benefits.

Not this year.

"What we've told them this year is we're not combining jobs to obtain benefits," Broncato said.

Individuals who worked several jobs to get benefits last year were grandfathered into coverage this year, Broncato said. But anyone seeking to pick up an additional job to get coverage will be turned down, he said.

The idea, Broncato said, came about last year during bargaining for the 2008-11 District U-46 Secretarial Association contract.

Dave Neal, director for the union, said he believes "the district just had to take more desperate measures because of the state (budget). It's going to be really tough this year. I don't think anybody thinks it's going to work smoothly across the board."

With cuts to state aid, a rise in foreclosures and an increase in union salary and benefits, U-46 has instituted a host of cost-cutting measures in this year's budget.

The equivalent of 350 full-time positions were cut. Spending on travel and supplies has been severely limited. And administrators, including the superintendent, will not receive their yearly raises.

The changes are expected to affect roughly a dozen individuals this year, Broncato said.