Update on Collective Bargaining with NUEA

September 7, 2021

Board of Education Approves New Four-year Teacher Contract

Naperville, IL – At its September 7, 2021 meeting the Naperville Community Unit School District
203 Board of Education approved a new four-year contract with the Naperville Unit Education
Association (NUEA) that will expire on June 30, 2025.

Naperville 203 administrators and educators have been working collaboratively to arrive at a
contract that acknowledges the benefits of a highly skilled, growth focused teaching staff with
the ultimate goal of improving student learning. Additionally, the school district understands the
importance of a contract that maintains its commitment to financial vigilance to ensure long term
financial stability.

The four-year contract ties salary schedule increases to a percentage of the annual consumer
price index and continues to emphasize the importance of career development. Pay increases
are retroactive to the 2021-2022 school year, and will take effect upon Board approval of the
contract.

“I am grateful for all the work that went into this agreement - especially to the members of the
NUEA bargaining team and the Naperville 203 administration for their commitment to getting an
agreement done,” said Dan Bridges, Superintendent. “The Naperville 203 community is
fortunate to have such a dedicated group of educators working together for what is best for our
students.”

Collaboration and meaningful communication among administrators and educators was a key
component of the contract. A number of contractual language agreements were made in
addition to the overall financial terms. For instance, elementary educators will have language to
limit the number of required meetings to promote planning; middle school educators are able to
better support supervised study; and high school educators will be able to have adjusted
schedule time to provide intervention or homeroom support up to two days per week. The
agreement includes an economic contingency clause to protect the District in case there are
significant shifts in the way schools and pension costs are funded.

"This has been a long process, and we are pleased that we were able to arrive at a fair
agreement that provides some stability for everyone over the next four years.,” said Dan
Iverson, president, Naperville Unit Education Association.

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August 23, 2021

Joint Press Release - Tentative Agreement

The following statement can be attributed to the Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA) and Naperville Community Unit School District 203:

We are pleased to announce that at today’s mediation, the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board of Education and the Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA) have reached a tentative agreement on a multi-year contract. Additional information regarding the agreement will be shared pending ratification by the NUEA membership and approval by the Board of Education. We thank everyone for their hard work and dedication to this process. 

El anuncio siguiente se puede atribuir a la Asociación de Educación de la Unidad de Naperville (NUEA) y al Distrito Escolar 203 de la Unidad de la Comunidad de Naperville:

Nos complace anunciar que, en la mediación de hoy, la Junta de Educación del Distrito Escolar 203 de la Unidad Comunitaria de Naperville y la Asociación de Educación de la Unidad de Naperville (NUEA) han llegado a un acuerdo tentativo sobre un contrato de varios años. Se compartirá información adicional sobre el acuerdo pendiente de la ratificación por parte de los miembros de NUEA y la aprobación de la Junta de Educación. Agradecemos a todos por su arduo trabajo y dedicación a este proceso. 

以下是来自于内珀维尔联合教育协会 (NUEA) 和内珀维尔203学区的联合声明：

我们很高兴地宣布，在今天的调解中，内珀维尔 203学区教育委员会和内珀维尔联合教育协会 (NUEA) 就多年期合同达成了初步协议。有关该协议的其他信息将在 NUEA 成员和教育委员会批准后发布。我们感谢每个人在这个过程中的辛勤工作和奉献。

August 18, 2021

Today, Naperville 203 and representatives of the Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA), the union that represents our approximately 1500 educators, met again with the independent federal mediator for an extended negotiating session. The parties exchanged a number of proposals and engaged in productive dialogue.

Students will begin the school year as planned tomorrow (Thursday, August 19). Our next negotiating session with the mediator is scheduled for Monday, August 23. We appreciate NUEA’s willingness to put the needs of our students and families first by staying at the table for ongoing negotiations as we work toward resolution.

We are committed to working with the NUEA to reach a fair and fiscally responsible multi-year contract agreement that serves the best interests of all stakeholders—students, parents, educators, and the taxpayer community.

As always, we thank you for supporting Naperville 203, our students, and educators.

August 17, 2021

Today, Naperville 203 and representatives of the Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA), the union that represents our approximately 1500 educators, met again with the independent mediator and continued to exchange proposals and engage in productive dialogue. Our next negotiating session with the mediator is scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, August 18 with additional sessions available the week of August 23 if needed.

We are committed to working with the NUEA to reach a fair and fiscally responsible multi-year contract agreement that serves the best interests of all stakeholders—students, parents, educators and the taxpayer community—without disruption to teaching and learning.

Please encourage both the Board and the union to keep talking and working toward agreement. As always, we thank you for your support of Naperville 203, our students, and educators.

August 16, 2021

Update on Status of Ongoing Negotiations with Naperville Unit Educators Association (NUEA)

The Board and the Naperville Unit Educators Association (or NUEA) are continuing to meet to work toward agreement on a fair and fiscally responsible multi-year contract. We have had many meetings, exchanged many proposals, and brought in an independent federal mediator in June to try and reach agreement.  

As the union has publicly noted, this is the first time that District 203 teachers have started the school year working under the terms of an expired contract. We appreciate their willingness to put the needs of our students and families first by staying at the table for ongoing negotiations as we work toward resolution.

 Throughout these negotiations, our Board has been and will continue to be guided by three principles:

• First, to continue delivering the high-quality education our students and community expect and deserve;
• Second, to competitively compensate our teachers and staff at every stage of their career for their excellent work in educating our children;
• And, finally, to ensure that the contract agreement we reach is fiscally responsible and allows the Board to preserve the long-term financial health of our District.

To balance these goals, even as we are working to meet the needs of our valued educators, we must also ensure that the contract agreement we reach is fiscally responsible and allows us to maintain a balanced budget. To do otherwise would compromise our ability to continue to provide the tools and resources our educators and students need and the high-quality education our community has come to expect and deserves. The Board and Administration are mindful, too, of the importance of keeping our classroom sizes small amid rising enrollment trends and ensuring that we can adequately plan for critical capital improvements to maintain our school buildings.

During the most recent negotiation session on Friday, August 14, the Board and NUEA continued to exchange proposals on the two major issues that remain unresolved—compensation and paid parental leave.

• Compensation: In response to some movement from the union, the Board enhanced our proposal by offering to provide all full-time District 203 educators with a $300 one-time appreciation payment to be paid within 30 days of contract approval; payments will also be made to part-time educators and prorated accordingly. This good faith offer sits on top of our existing salary proposal, which provides raises for every educator, during every year of the proposed four-year contract, keeping District 203 teachers among the highest paid, if not the highest paid, in comparable communities.
• Paid Parental Leave: Discussions on paid parental leave are also ongoing. On Friday, the District increased its offer and is now proposing to provide up to eight weeks of paid sick leave (40 sick days) for non-medical purposes, such as child bonding, in addition to additional earned paid sick leave that is provided to medically recover from childbirth. 

In the spirit of transparency, we have posted the Board’s most recent proposal to the NUEA on our and will continue to provide updates as negotiations proceed.

While the union has filed a notice of intent to strike that would allow them to do so as early as next Wednesday, August 25, that does not necessarily mean that a strike will occur in District 203. Additional negotiating sessions with the independent federal mediator are scheduled for Tuesday, August 17 and Wednesday, August 18, with additional sessions available as needed next week.

We are grateful to those who have reached out to the District to express their concerns about a potential strike and the impact of another disruption to teaching and learning. We hear you, we share those concerns, and we remain hopeful that we can reach agreement. The Board is willing to meet as frequently as needed and for as long as it takes to reach an agreement that serves and balances the best interests of all stakeholders –  students, parents, teachers and the taxpayer community.

Please continue to encourage both the Board and the union to keep talking and working toward agreement without disruption to our students and families. As always, thank you for your support of District 203, our students and educators.

August 13, 2021

Today, Naperville 203 and representatives of the Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA), the union that represents our approximately 1500 educators, met again with the independent mediator and continued to exchange proposals. Our next negotiating sessions with the mediator are scheduled for Tuesday, August 17 and Wednesday, August 18 with additional sessions available the week of August 23 if needed.

We are committed to working with the NUEA to reach a fair and fiscally responsible multi-year contract agreement that serves the best interests of all stakeholders–students, parents, educators and the taxpayer community.

Please encourage both the Board and the union to keep talking and working toward agreement. As always, we thank you for your support of Naperville 203, our students, and educators.

August 10, 2021

Threatened NUEA Union Strike on First Day of School Illegal

Following yesterday’s negotiating session with an independent federal mediator, Naperville District 203 officials learned that its educators’ union has filed a Notice of Intent to Strike with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB).

On July 22, the union initiated a process in which both parties submitted their most recent proposals for public posting on the IELRB website. The Illinois Labor Relations Act requires that a strike may not occur unless the IELRB public postings have been published for 14 days to allow for community review and input. The District has notified the union that, they cannot strike on the first day of school based on the timing of the IELRB posting. 

It is important to point out that the union had timed its strike to coincide with the first day of school for students—Thursday, August 19. Particularly given the difficult circumstances for students, parents and our community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we are disappointed that NUEA would plan to delay the return-to-school while negotiations continue.

And, while the current contract with District 203 educators expired on June 30, 2021, it is very common in other school districts for teachers to return to the classroom without disruption after a contract has expired. In that case, teachers continue to receive pay and benefits during that time in accordance with the terms of the expired contract.

During yesterday’s negotiations, the parties each presented compensation proposals that reflected some movement toward resolution but remain far apart. Discussions on another major outstanding item related to paid parental leave are also ongoing, with the union regressing on its proposal to use 35 sick days post childbirth for child bonding purposes. In its most-recent proposal, the union has increased its demand to 60 sick days post childbirth for child bonding purposes.

The union’s Notice of Intent to Strike does not necessarily mean that a strike will occur in District 203. Another negotiating session with the mediator has been scheduled for Friday, August 13. Additional sessions are scheduled if needed for Tuesday, August 17 and Wednesday, August 18. The Board is willing to meet as frequently as needed and for as long as it takes to reach a fair and fiscally responsible multiyear contract agreement that serves the best interests of all stakeholders–students, parents, teachers and the taxpayer community.

 Please encourage both the Board and the union to keep talking and working toward agreement. As always, we thank you for your support of District 203, our students and teachers.

Please check the Naperville 203 website for updates on the status of negotiations.

August 9, 2021

Negotiations Continue as Naperville Educators’ Union Files 10-Day Notice of Intent to Strike: 8-9-21

Following today’s negotiating session with an independent federal mediator, Naperville 203 officials learned that its educators’ union has filed a Notice of Intent to Strike with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB).

On July 22, the union initiated a process in which both parties submitted their most recent proposals for public posting on the IELRB website. The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act requires that a strike may not occur unless the IELRB public postings have been published for 14 days to allow for community review and input. The District has notified the union that, because the IELRB has not yet posted the proposal publicly, their notice to strike is illegal.

It is important to point out that the union has timed its illegal strike to coincide with the first day of school for students Thursday, August 19. Particularly given the difficult circumstances for students, parents, and our community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we are very disappointed that Naperville 203 educators would delay the return to school while negotiations continue.

While the current contract with Naperville 203 educators expired on June 30, 2021, it is very common in other school districts for teachers to return to the classroom without disruption after a contract has expired. In that case, teachers continue to receive pay and benefits during that time in accordance with the terms of the expired contract.

During today’s negotiations, the parties each presented compensation proposals that reflected some movement toward resolution but remain far apart. Discussions on another major outstanding item related to paid parental leave are also ongoing, with the union regressing on its proposal. Last week, the union proposed to use 35 paid sick days post-childbirth for non-medical purposes. In its most recent proposal, the union has increased its demand to up to 60 paid sick days post-childbirth. 

The union’s Notice of Intent to Strike does not necessarily mean that a strike will occur in District 203. Another negotiating session with the mediator has been scheduled for Friday, August 13. Additional sessions are scheduled if needed for Tuesday, August 17, and Wednesday, August 18. The Board is willing to meet as frequently as needed and for as long as it takes to reach a fair and fiscally responsible multi-year contract agreement that serves the best interests of all stakeholders–students, parents, teachers, and the taxpayer community.

Please encourage both the Board and the union to keep talking and working toward an agreement. As always, we thank you for your support of Naperville 203, our students, and teachers.

August 4, 2021

Today, District 203 and representatives of the Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA), the union that represents our approximately 1.500 educators, met again with the independent mediator in an effort to reach a fair and fiscally responsible multiyear contract agreement that serves the best interests of all stakeholders –  students, parents, teachers and the taxpayer community.

The parties continued to exchange proposals during today’s session. Our next negotiating sessions with the mediator are scheduled for Monday, August 9 and 16, with additional sessions on hold if needed for Tuesday, August 17 and Wednesday, August 18.

The first day of school for students is August 19, 2021. The Board is confident students can return to the classroom this fall while we continue to meet with the NUEA to reach a fair and fiscally responsible contract. While the current NUEA contract expired on June 30, 2021, it is common for teachers to return to the classroom without disruption after a contract has expired.

Please encourage both the Board and the union to keep talking and working toward agreement. As always, we thank you for your support of District 203, our students and teachers.

July 27, 2021

The Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board of Education has been working with the Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA), the union that represents our approximately 1,500 educators, to negotiate a fair multiyear contract that serves the best interests of all stakeholders –  students, parents, teachers and taxpayer community. After regular meetings since January between the District and the union, an independent federal mediator was engaged last month to help bring the parties closer toward a negotiated agreement.

Despite multiple bargaining sessions and much hard work, the sides have not been able to reach an agreement on several key issues. The Board is committed to continuing to negotiate with the NUEA. While the District’s current contract with the teachers expired June 30, it is common for teachers to return to the classroom without disruption after a contract has expired. Of course, teachers will continue to receive pay and benefits as negotiations continue.

The two sides have an additional session with the mediator scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, July 28. However, the union has initiated the public posting process facilitated by the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) in which the most recent proposals from both the Board and the union will be publicly posted for review and input from our community. These proposals will be posted on the IELRB and Naperville 203 websites on or around August 5. Throughout the public posting process, negotiations to reach agreement will continue.

Everyone wants our District to be a place where teachers can grow and thrive at every stage of their career, and where they are all competitively compensated for their excellent work in educating our children. All of the members of the Board are both parents of Naperville 203 students or alumni, and like you, the Board of Education values and respects the Naperville 203 teachers. As taxpayers, the Board is also committed to ensuring that the contract agreement reached is fiscally responsible and preserves the long-term financial health of the District. The District will continue to provide our teachers and students with the tools and resources they need to deliver the excellent education our community has come to expect and deserves.

Please encourage both the Board and the union to keep talking and working toward agreement.  You will receive timely updates on the status of negotiations via email and the District website. As always, we thank you for your support of District 203, our students and teachers.