Cahokia school district, union reach tentative agreement after heated negotiation

After going without a contract for an entire school year, the Cahokia Federation of Teachers and the school district have reached a tentative agreement.

Cahokia School District 187 and the union, which represents teachers, service employees and secretaries, reached a four-year deal Tuesday night, according to Ray Roskos, the Illinois Federation of Teachers field service worker who’s assisting with the negotiations.

The tentative deal, which still needs to be ratified by both the union’s full membership and the school board, comes amid the union launching allegations of financial mismanagement and corruption against district leadership.

“This tentative contract demonstrates our mutual dedication to supporting the professionals who play a vital role in the success of our schools and the well-being of our students,” Superintendent Curtis McCall. Jr. said in a statement. “The contract provides employees with competitive pay and will help the district recruit and retain qualified teachers and education support personnel, while preserving the district’s excellent financial standing.”McCall and union leadership could not be immediately reached for more details Wednesday afternoon.

Union employees have been working without a contract since last summer. Initial negotiations fell through between the district and the teachers union last fall when the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement on sick leave policy and salaries.

Tensions boiled over in the spring semester. The union alleged that, for years, multiple employees were being paid without evidence of working and the assistant superintendent was paid far above his contracted salaries. The union also claimed the district paid for an employee’s supplemental Medicare coverage without what it considers proper documentation.

McCall has consistently said the union’s allegations were false and said in February that “nothing illegal has transpired in this district.”

“Clearly, at this point, everyone can see that these contract negotiations are no longer about the union employees you are charged with representing or our students’ best interests, but about your personal and political agendas,” McCall wrote in a March email to district employees.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.