This Group Of LTHS Workers Wants Raises

LA GRANGE, IL – It was near the end of President Bill Clinton's time in the White House when Lyons Township High School conducted its last professional salary review for clerical staff.

One of the clerical staff said Monday it's time for another one.

At Monday's school board meeting, Susan Hughes, an administrative assistant for the school, described how the pay for clerical staff has fallen behind over the last two decades. The last wage review was in 2000, she said.

Since then, inflation has risen nearly 75 percent. Meanwhile, the salaries for administrative assistants in the low wage range rose 44 percent, Hughes said. In the high wage range, they increased 34 percent.

Worsening the situation, she said, the cost of administrative assistants' health insurance premiums has spiked more than 300 percent since 2002.

Things such as minimum wage hikes have increased "salary compression," Hughes said, meaning little difference in pay exists between employees, no matter their seniority or experience.

"Every time we get a cost-of-living increase, it is offset by an increase in our health insurance premium," she said during public comments. "Simply put, we are not getting ahead. We are falling further and further behind."

This has happened all the while the school has boasted about how well it pays teachers and conducted administrative salary reviews, Hughes said.

"After 21 years of being ignored, undervalued, neglected and truly feeling we don't belong, we realize we need a backbone, not a wishbone anymore," she said. "We are finally demanding to be treated fairly, so we can say, 'Yes, we belong, too.'"

She distributed a packet that indicated she represented the school's administrative assistants.

According to the packet, the average pay for a Lyons Township High School administrative assistant is $18.96 an hour. That compares to $21.30 at Hinsdale Central and South high schools, $24.02 at Stevenson High, and $29.34 at Riverside-Brookfield High.

The school board does not respond to public comments.

Last month, the school board approved a new contract with teacher's aides, who contended their pay was lower than nearby schools.

At Monday's school board meeting, Andrew Johannes, president of the teachers union, expressed support for administrative assistants.