Community Consolidated School District 146

The Tinley Council of Local 604, IFT-AFT is the local teachers’ union representing 241 staff members, approximately 55% of the employees in District 146. The Union serves as the collective bargaining representative for district teachers, negotiating on their behalf regarding wages, benefits, working conditions, and other terms of employment.

Negotiations for a new contract began with an introductory meeting on February 5, 2025. The parties met eight times before it became clear to the Board’s negotiating team that the assistance of a federal mediator was needed to help the parties reach an agreement. The parties have since met twice with the mediator. After no agreement had been reached, the parties entered a statutory “public posting process” on August 1, 2025. This process requires the parties to publicly post their most recent offers and a cost summary

The current contract expired July 31, 2025. While there is no current agreement in place between the District and the Union, the District will continue to honor the expired contract while bargaining is ongoing. Once an agreement is reached, teachers will receive the difference in pay.

The two parties have reached agreements on all issues except for salary and eligibility for the District’s retirement incentive. Recognizing the recent rate of inflation, the Board’s first offer on salary was higher than the final settlement for the last contract. The Union’s first and second offers were 10% annual raises, compounding to approximately 33% over 3 years. The Union is also proposing to make a retirement incentive a benefit that every Tier I teacher receives, regardless of how long they work, creating additional costs to the District and possible financial penalties the District would have to pay to TRS.

The Board’s latest proposal includes raises of 6%, 6%, and 5% over the next three years with the retirement incentive staying the same. The Union has proposed raises of 7%, 7%, and 7% over the next three years with the retirement incentive converting to a guaranteed benefit for all Tier I employees, approximately ⅔ of the District’s teaching staff.

Although the Board believes teachers deserve the highest compensation possible, they also have a responsibility to taxpayers to act in a fiscally responsible manner. Raises over 6% create exposure to financial penalties through the Teachers Retirement System (TRS), meaning tax dollars go to TRS instead of our teachers or our students. The Union’s proposal could also lead to higher property taxes for District 146 residents.
 

The District’s proposal would cost an additional $3,113,000 (over current costs) over three years. The Union’s proposal would cost an additional $3,896,000 over three years. This does not include the penalties for TRS or the additional costs related to the retirement incentive.

The District has been taking part in the Property Tax Relief Grant for the past six years. These abatements expire this year, meaning District 146 taxpayers could see a spike in their property tax bill. When the abatements end, the District is projecting property taxes to rise by 20% over the next three years and 28% over the next five years. 

The Board intends to offer additional abatements to protect taxpayers from an additional burden that large. However, under the Union’s proposal, additional abatements may not be possible at the Board’s planned levels, if at all. This would result in higher property tax increases.

Higher raises are projected to create a structural deficit in future years that would negatively impact the District’s long-term financial health. A structural deficit is created when the financial obligations of the District will exceed its revenue growth over an extended period of time, leading to annual deficits year after year. A structural deficit combined with a lower fund balance would force the Board to consider undesirable financial remedies such as larger class sizes, fewer extracurricular and student enrichment opportunities, and delays of projects to improve and maintain our schools.

No. In fact, District 146 believes our teachers are our greatest asset and is committed to maintaining competitive compensation while ensuring the district’s long-term financial health. That is why, under the District 146 proposal, teachers would receive an 18% compounded salary increase over three years and our starting salary would become the highest among K-8 teachers in Tinley Park, Oak Forest, and Orland Park. 

Teachers would also maintain a retirement incentive of two years of 6% raises and either a post-retirement payment or post-retirement insurance.

The Board’s financial decisions must reflect both our commitment to teachers and our long-term fiscal responsibility to all stakeholders.