URBANA, IL – On Tuesday, April 4, Urbana’s Board of Education unanimously approved a new three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement between the District and the teacher’s union. The new contract will be effective from the 2023-24 school year through the 2025-26 school year. The Urbana Education Association (UEA) ratified the agreement a week earlier with an overwhelming majority (94%). Contract negotiations started in November, with both sides meeting together weekly (or bi-weekly) until the District’s spring break.
The Board of Education, Administration, and the UEA’s main priority was improving the District’s ability to recruit innovative and creative new hires while also retaining and incentivizing current staff by staying regionally competitive with neighboring school districts.
The Board of Education, Superintendent Ivory-Tatum, and the Administration would like to thank the UEA for the collaborative process upon which we came to this 3-year agreement. We appreciate the professional trust and the partnership that exists between both parties, which ensured the negotiation process was positive and productive. All parties agree this contract will position Urbana to be regionally competitive with surrounding districts regarding compensation packages. “We are excited about the leverage that this new contract will bring Urbana in our ability to recruit high-quality candidates to our district while also retaining our amazing, innovative, and creative staff,” said Superintendent Ivory-Tatum. Paul Poulosky, Board President, said, “I am glad that our priorities aligned with the UEA as this contract will help improve future outcomes for our students.” Mark Foley, president of the UEA, added, “our goal from the beginning of this process was to make Urbana a place where new teachers want to come, and our veteran teachers want to stay. We believe this contract goes a long way toward accomplishing that goal.”
Here are a few highlights of the new 3-year agreement:
- Average compensation increases of $3,100 +step year one, $2,000 +step year 2, and $2,000 +step year 3 of the contract for licensed staff
- Compensation increases to a minimum starting pay of $18/hr year one, $18.50/hr year two, and $19/hr year three, with additional annual increases for years of service and education beyond a High School Diploma.
- New hires will be allowed year-to-year credit for all previous years of teaching experience
- A 5.25% retirement program for both licensed and education support personnel for up to four years
- Designated stipends for teaching positions that are hard to hire, recruit, and retain
- Increases in personal leave based on years of service in the District
- Financial incentives for staff with specific professional licenses and certifications
- The creation of a Joint Student Discipline Committee comprised of administrators and educators that will meet annually to outline discipline guidelines and procedures for the district