'Tentative Agreement' Reached With Teachers: District 202

PLAINFIELD, IL — After a year of negotiations and the threat of an impending teachers strike, District 202 on Thursday announced it has reached another "tentative" deal with teachers on a new contract. In a statement released Thursday morning, District 202 Board President Greg Nichols and Association of Plainfield Teachers Dawn Bullock said the tentative pact addresses teachers' concerns and supports school staff.

The district said it is not releasing any details of the potential contract at this time, adding that while APT and District 202 came to the tentative pact on Wednesday, union members are not expected to vote on the proposal until Nov. 1.

“We feel this agreement addresses the needs of our membership and will help attract and retain talented educators both now and in the future,” Bullock said in the statement. APT represents about 1,900 classroom teachers and certified staff in District 202.

Just over a month ago, District 202 said it had reached another tentative deal with the union. But teachers voted overwhelmingly against the proposal, which at the time offered a three-year contract with a one-year commitment on salary and retirement benefits. The district responded with an Oct. 11 offer of a five-year contract.

According to the district, the new agreement addresses key concerns of both the APT and District 202, including several issues raised at an Oct. 18 special Board of Education meeting.

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On Oct. 14, APT announced that members had voted to authorize a strike that could start as early as Halloween.

District 202 said in a statement that no imminent strike date has been set, and teacher-parent conferences will take place as scheduled on Nov. 2 and 3.

“The Board of Education truly values our teachers and certified staff and the work they do every day for our students, families and schools,” Nichols said in the statement. "We believe this agreement allows us to support our certified staff appropriately and continue to be good stewards of the community’s resources."