Secretaries and other support workers in Proviso High School District 209 returned to their jobs Thursday after reaching agreement on a four-year contract, ending a 17-day strike.
The new pact for the Proviso Support Staff Council provides an annual 3.5 percent pay raise compared with the latest annual inflation rate of 2.2 percent. Salaries for secretaries had ranged from $15,996 to $29,803 a year, depending on the category of employee. Security workers were paid up to $12.01 an hour.
The union represents 116 secretaries, office coordinators, teacher aides, health care aides, paraprofessionals, security guards and other support personnel at Proviso East in Maywood and Proviso West in Hillside.
The last contract expired June 30. Since the raises are retroactive to July 1, workers will receive a lump sum payment on Oct. 10 covering the 3.5 percent wage boost for the last year.
The union agreed that workers will pay 3 percent of insurance premiums in the new contract.
The school district in the past has paid the entire cost of the workers’ premiums for health insurance, life insurance and disability insurance premiums. When the school board insisted employees pay part of this cost, it became a sticking point in negotiations.
