Springfield District 186 teachers to vote on contract deal that includes 12.5% pay increase
Springfield Education Association members will consider a 12.5% pay increase over three years at its ratification meeting at Springfield High School Tuesday.
The pay increase starts at 5% for the 2022-23 school year with 4.25% and 3.25% increases over the next two years, according to a letter to SEA members from SEA president Aaron Graves.
The ratification would be by a simple majority of the SEA's nearly 1,200 members. If it passes, it will go to the District 186 board of education for approval at its Aug. 15 meeting.
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If the tentative agreement is voted down, both sides will return to the bargaining table.
SEA members rejected a tentative agreement in 2019, the last time a contract was negotiated before it was eventually passed.
Graves said earlier staffing and wellness issues, pay, and school safety were all top issues for teachers.
The tentative agreement came down in mid-July.
Graves told The State Journal-Register the union bargaining team "did not feel insulted by the offer. I think the complicating factor will be where everybody is financially. It's tough to say. Everybody's financial picture is different."
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If ratified, Superintendent Jennifer Gill said this would be her first time bringing a tentative agreement to the board prior to the start of school. She was named superintendent in 2014.
School starts for most District 186 students on Aug. 22.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield District 186 teachers to vote on contract with 12.5% raise
