Most members of the Plainfield Association of Support Staff (PASS) will get annual raises averaging 4.1 percent under a new five-year agreement with District 202.
The District 202 Board of Education unanimously approved the new contract with PASS at its April 29, 2019 regular meeting. PASS members voted overwhelmingly to ratify the new pact, passing it 837-98.
PASS represents about 1,015 non-certified staff including custodians; grounds, building and maintenance staff; most secretaries; bookkeepers; clerks; nurses; paraprofessionals; lunchroom supervisors; and campus monitors.
“This new agreement addresses some of biggest challenges created by the last two contracts passed during and after the Great Recession,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lane Abrell.
The new contract increases compensation for various PASS categories that have been paid less than market value in recent years.
“All of our staff, including our PASS members, made a lot of sacrifices during that time. We are finally now able to start showing the appropriate value for these vital employees and the work they do every day to serve our students, schools and families,” Abrell said.
“I thank the PASS leadership for its dedication, hard work and good-faith negotiations,” said Board of Education President Greg Nichols. “We believe this agreement is fair to everyone and helps to move us forward as a district.”
Under the new contract, most PASS members will receive raises of:
4.5 percent in 2019-20
4.75 percent in 2020-21 (except head custodians and shift supervisor custodians who will get an extra $1 per hour instead of the percent increase; all other custodians will get $1.50 more per hour instead of the percent increase)
4.5 percent in 2021-22
4.25 percent in 2022-23 (except clerks who will get an extra $1 per hour instead of the percent increase; if state revenue decreases, salary negotiations will re-open)
2.5 percent plus a Cost of Living increase in 2023-24 (except clerks who will get an extra $1 per hour instead of the percent increase; if state revenue decreases, salary negotiations will re-open; all positions are guaranteed raises of at least 2.5 percent plus a Cost of Living increase ranging from .5 percent to 1.5 percent)
The new PASS contract also:
adjusts minimum wage requirements for the next five years
adds stipends for paraprofessionals working in specialized programs
adds insurance benefits for all 12-month employees
keeps insurance percentages flat for the next five years
incorporates the CPI
PASS President Joanne Clemans thanked the Board of Education, district administration, the PASS negotiations team for their spirit of cooperation and collaboration.
“Having been part of the negotiation team for the last three contracts for PASS, I have to say that this was one of the most collaborative efforts to do what was right and fair for all parties,” she said.
“Other districts should take note of the great working relationship we have with each other and see that it does not have to be adversarial for each party to get what they need,” Clemans said. “This is definitely a win for both of us.”