Joliet Township HS Staff Unanimously Vote to Approve Strike to Secure a Living Wage, Safe Schools, and the Support Students Deserve

JOLIET, IL – Following their recent rally, members of the Joliet Township High School (JTHS) Paraprofessional Council of AFT Local 604 took a unanimous vote on Tuesday to authorize a strike, if necessary. They filed the official Intent to Strike notice with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) yesterday (10/29). With the filing of the notice, the paraprofessionals and security staff who serve students with special needs, provide academic support to students, and maintain safe school environments in Joliet's two public high schools may now legally strike as soon as November 9.

The union members are frustrated with the lack of movement on key issues after five months of bargaining. JTHS PSRPs are the lowest paid among neighboring school districts, with most barely earning minimum wage. The result has been extremely high job turnover for instructional paraprofessionals and security personnel in District 204. Students are hurt the most, particularly those with special needs who build relationships with these essential staff and rely on their support to help them learn and feel safe in school.

"We don't want to strike, but the District 204 board refuses to prioritize student learning and school safety," said Council President Sarah McLaurin, an instructional paraprofessional at Joliet Central. "We've been bargaining since April and have made little progress. Our members felt they had no choice other than to take a strike vote, and the results were crystal clear: We will do whatever is necessary to win what our members and students deserve."

Board members have admitted that they have adequate funds to reverse the high turnover and meet the union's salary demands. Currently, District 204 has a funding surplus of more than $23 million between two education funds. Interest alone on the surplus funds would cover the modest pay increases the union has proposed to bring the workers’ salaries in line with those in neighboring districts.

Council Vice President LaMellis McCormick, a security officer at the District administrative office and Joliet West, says she and her colleagues encounter safety situations with students nearly every day but do not have adequate security staff to address them. "Our security officers are asked to handle dangerous situations regularly, but this board is refusing to pay us even a living wage for our important work. How can we expect to retain our security personnel or hire the additional ones our schools need to keep students and staff safe? The board's unwillingness to pay a fair wage literally puts school safety at risk."

"This isn't a situation where the board cannot do the right thing, it's that they don't want to," added McLaurin. "They have offered no other reason than that during bargaining and mediation. And now they have stopped negotiating with us altogether. Our members are left feeling that they don't care about student learning and safety, and they do not value our contributions."

The filing of the Intent to Strike notice does not guarantee that union members will strike but gives them the ability to do so if an agreement is not reached soon. The board has not offered to meet since September 30.

"We stand ready to bargain and urge the board to finally take this situation seriously," said McLaurin. "Our students and members deserve the support they need to thrive, both in and outside our schools. It's past time for board members to step up and put our kids and community first."

The Joliet Township High School (JTHS) Paraprofessional Council represents 108 Instructional Paraprofessionals and Security Personnel who support the nearly 7,000 students

in District 204's two public high schools. The council is affiliated with AFT Local 604, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of Teachers.

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