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player ready...The Lyons Township High School paraprofessionals’ picketing protest Tuesday ahead of the school board meeting went well, a union representative said.
The union represents dozens of employees who work with special needs students in the district. They haven’t had a contract since last fall, and the disagreement is mostly over salary increases. Union representative Nick Castiglione said the district hasn’t budged in months of ongoing mediated negotiations but after a protest Tuesday evening near Cossitt Avenue at the North Campus and a strong showing at the board meeting, he’s hopeful district leadership will be willing to work with the union.
“I would hope to think that the community support and the support from the teachers and showing them that this is a union that can organize events like this would hopefully persuade them to put the money they do have on the table,” Castiglione said.
The school district has agreed to a bump up in pay, but to something just over $15 an hour for the immediate future. This is in line with a proposed statewide minimum wage which Castiglione says is not keeping up with the cost of living in the area or the professional expectations of the paraeducators.
Thus, he said, the picket on Tuesday.
“I was real pleased with it,” Castiglione said. “The paraeducators decided we’d do some informational picketing prior to the board meeting and we had 30 to 35 paraeducators at the picketing along with a smattering of teachers.”
But beyond the protest, he said he and his co-workers have some reason for optimism.
Castiglione said the superintendent reached out to a member of the executive board to tell them there would be some movement going forward. While he did not speak with Superintendent Brian Waterman, he said he appreciated the gesture.
“If that’s indeed true then I’m optimistic going forward,” Castiglione said.
Waterman did not return a call for comment, and the districtreissued its statement indicating it appreciates the work the paraeducators do and offering them a raise.
Meanwhile, Castiglione made clear he’s still going to wait and see what happens next month rather than merely trusting any rumors.
“We’ll see what they say when we have the next negotiation with the mediator next month,” he said.
But, he said, he was pleased to hear the support from the community on Tuesday. Castiglione said that during the protest, drivers honked in support and some yelled out their windows that they supported the workers.
“It was very cold, but everyone was willing to stay out in the cold,” he said. “For the most part the weather was not a problem.”
The best part, however, was the meeting, according to Castiglione. Not only did some of the paraeducators speak, but a parent did, too. He said the parent made it clear how integral he and his colleagues are to the district.
“I think the parent made that point as well as any of us could have,” Castiglione said.
But in the meantime, he made it clear the union isn’t ready to back down yet.
“We don’t want to walk away from the table especially if we think there’s progress to be made,” Castiglione said. “At this point I would have to know what the board is willing to offer. In the last three months, they haven’t moved an inch. If their movement is nominal, I’m not sure well move an inch.”
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