Back to the Table: Valley View Council Members Vote NO on Tentative Agreement

Romeoville, IL – Staff in Valley View District 365 U held a ratification vote this week to determine whether they would accept the tentative agreement that was reached last month between the union’s bargaining team and the Board of Education. 86% of Valley View Council (Local 604) members voted, and 70.66% of them voted NO – that they would not accept the tentative agreement.

“While the tentative agreement addressed many key concerns, it ultimately did not meet the full expectations of our membership," said Valley View Council President Jared Ploger. "We respect that decision and remain committed to negotiating a contract that reflects the needs of all."

The union will now begin surveying members to understand their concerns about the tentative agreement and priorities going forward. They will also be reaching out to the Board to set a date to return to the bargaining table as soon as possible.

The two sides have been negotiating since January and started working with a mediator in July. Last month, after no movement from the Board on the union’s main issue with an earlier high school start time that would negatively impact students, the council voted overwhelmingly to strike and began the process by filing their intent with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. However, the tentative agreement reached in September paused that process. The union can call a strike again if needed.

“This is part of the process of representing your members’ voices and ensuring that student and staff needs are met,” continued Ploger. “We hope that we can quickly address any remaining issues at the table and wrap this up soon.”

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The Valley View Council represents 1,800 teachers, maintenance, security, nurses, social workers, deans, counselors, paraprofessionals, SRT’s, and SLP’s who teach and support the 16,000 students who attend Bolingbrook and Romeoville schools in Valley View District 365U. The Valley View Council is affiliated with Local 604, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of Teachers.