Joint Statement from Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson on Reaching a Tentative Agreement with SEIU Local 73 (2/1)

CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson today issued the following statement on the tentative agreement reached with SEIU Local 73: 

“We are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with SEIU Local 73, which represents more than 9,000 dedicated SECAs, security officers, custodians and crossing guards, thousands of whom have reported to work in-person for the entirety of the pandemic. Without the dedicated members of Local 73 as well as other union staff, we would be unable to serve families millions of free meals, ensure our schools are clean and safe, and support our students with special needs. We are grateful to have reached an agreement that honors their dedication to Chicago’s families.”  

Elements of the tentative agreement Include the following: 

Special Education Classroom Assistants (SECAs): 

• SECAs will be allowed to work remotely while in-person learning is suspended and continue to work remotely if their assigned students are remote when it resumes.

Security Guards, Custodians and Crossing Guards: 

• If there's a work stoppage, security guards, custodians, and crossing guards can continue to report and receive pay; if they choose not to report, they can take a benefit day or an unpaid day.

Bus Aides, Parent Workers and Bus Monitors:

• CPS will allow care room assignments to be optional for employees assigned to care rooms until in-person instruction resumes.

• Bus aides and bus monitors assigned to a bus route that is not operating will continue to work remotely without loss of pay until such time as CPS reopens safely.

Accommodations — All SEIU Members 

• In addition to granting all accommodation requests for SEIU employees with medical conditions (as defined by the CDC) who complete an application, CPS will prioritize approval of pending telework accommodation requests from employees who serve as primary caregivers for family members at increased risk for severe illness due to COVID-19.

• In the event CPS denies an accommodation request due to an incomplete application, the staff member will be notified that the denial was due to CPS not having enough information to process the request. If applications are completed following this notice, they will be reviewed for consideration. 

Chicago Public Schools serves 341,000 students in 638 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

_{*An earlier version of this release incorrectly mentioned nutrition staff; it has since been updated.}