Joliet Township HS PSRPs Avert Strike, Ratify New Three-Year Agreement

JOLIET, IL – After averting a potential strike by reaching a tentative agreement last week with the Joliet Township High School Dist. 204 school board, the 108 members of the Joliet Township High School (JTHS) Paraprofessional Council of AFT Local 604 voted this afternoon to approve that agreement. Ninety-five members cast ballots, with a strong majority voting to ratify the three-year deal.

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"Yesterday was PSRP Day across Illinois, and today feels like our day here in Joliet,” said Council President Sarah McLaurin, an instructional paraprofessional at Joliet Central. "By winning and ratifying this new agreement, our members have made big strides toward the living wage we deserve and the support our students need to learn and be safe at school."

Council members serve as either instructional paraprofessionals or security personnel, essential roles at Joliet’s two public high schools. Members work directly with students to enhance academic success, particularly for special needs students, and ensure the physical safety of students and school buildings. Their work is invaluable, yet during more than five months of bargaining, the board refused to recognize the workers’ important contributions by paying a living wage.

“It shouldn’t take the threat of a strike to get a response to our concerns,” said Council Vice President LaMellis McCormick, a security officer at the District administrative office and Joliet West. “I’m so proud of our members for staying strong and refusing to back down until we won an agreement that better serves our students and better aligns our pay with comparable employees in nearby districts.”

“We are grateful to our students, families, and teacher colleagues who supported us throughout this fight,” added McLaurin. “You understood from the start that we were not only fighting for improved pay to put food on the table for our families, but to reverse the excessive job turnover rate in our district that hurts students. When our members aren’t able to have an adequate income, we don’t have the retention that allows for stable relationships for students with the school staff they rely on. We believe this agreement is a big win for them too.”

Though Dist. 204 was documented to have the resources to meet the demands of the school staff, all across the state, the fight for adequate staffing and student resources is becoming increasingly difficult as the vast majority of Illinois districts confront underfunding by the governor and Illinois General Assembly. Lawmakers and the governor must prioritize education and fully fund the Evidence-Based Model to ensure students and schools have what they need to learn and succeed. 

The Dist. 204 school board is expected to vote on the agreement at their December meeting. Once approved, it will take effect immediately and will be retroactive to July 1, the date the previous contract expired. Details of the agreement will be released when it takes effect.