The new five-year contract was agreed upon between District 202 and the Plainfield Association of Support Staff (PASS) at the end of April, allowing most members to obtain an annual raise averaging about a 4.1 percent increase.
The District 202 Board of Education unanimously approved the new contract at a regularly scheduled meeting. Members of PASS overwhelmingly voted to have the contract ratified. The vote surged ahead with 837-98 in the end.
“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,” said Tom Hernandez, in a report he sent out on April 29.
The new contract will compensate workers who have been paid less than expected in recent years.
“All of our staff, including our PASS members, made a lot of sacrifices during that time,” Lane Abrell, Superintendent of District 202, said on April 29. “We are finally now able to start showing the appropriate value for these vital employees and the work they do everyday to serve our students, schools, and families.”
The five-year contract will adjust the minimum wage requirements, add stipends for paraprofessionals working in specialized programs, adds insurance benefits for all 12-month employees, keeps insurance percentages flat, and incorporates CPI (Consumer Price Index).
President of PASS, Joanne Clemans, thanked the Board of Education, the district administration, and the PASS negotiations team for their 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,” Clemans said in the report. “This is definitely a win for both of us.”