Post by casey on Jul 8, 2010 13:28:57 GMT -6
District 203, unions broker deal for Naperville Central work to continue
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=392742
Construction crews have returned to work - again - at Naperville Central High School, despite an ongoing labor strike that has shut down hundreds of other projects across the region.
Naperville Unit District 203 officials brokered a deal at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday with International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 and Laborers' District Council of Chicago and Vicinity that exempts the project from the strike, Superintendent Mark Mitrovich announced Thursday.
Mitrovich would not disclose details of the pact and said they will not be discussed until the school board officially approves the deal at its July 19 meeting.
"This is an accord in principle at this point. There is no final document. There are no details," Mitrovich said. "At this point those details will not be released until the board meeting on July 19. But what we did achieve is the fact that the pickets have been taken down, everyone is back at work and we can go ahead."
Ed Maher, spokesman for the Operating Engineers, said the district reached out to the unions Tuesday, seeking an agreement and negotiations ensued.
"At about 8:30 last night, we agreed to a project labor agreement with the district that ensures skilled union laborers will be used on all district projects for the next seven years and in exchange, no work stoppages will take place during that time, even in the event of a strike," he said.
School board member Terry Fielden said workers from both unions will pick up second and third shifts and work seven days a week to ensure the $87.7 million renovation project is completed on time for the school's scheduled Aug. 25 opening.
Work came to a halt July 1 after the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 and Laborers' District Council of Chicago and Vicinity went on strike. The groups are at odds with Mid-America Regional Bargaining Association and Excavators Inc.
The project at Central, 400 W. Aurora Ave., includes a three-story addition that will house all major subject areas. The 3,000-student school also will get infrastructure upgrades, a new learning resource center, new athletic and music space, improved traffic flow and synthetic turf on its football field.
Officials had explored options such as split shifts at Naperville North High School, petitioning the state Board of Education to delay the opening of classes or even using vacant space at the nearby Alcatel-Lucent campus in Lisle.
Check back at dailyherald.com or read Friday's Daily Herald for more details.
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=392742
Construction crews have returned to work - again - at Naperville Central High School, despite an ongoing labor strike that has shut down hundreds of other projects across the region.
Naperville Unit District 203 officials brokered a deal at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday with International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 and Laborers' District Council of Chicago and Vicinity that exempts the project from the strike, Superintendent Mark Mitrovich announced Thursday.
Mitrovich would not disclose details of the pact and said they will not be discussed until the school board officially approves the deal at its July 19 meeting.
"This is an accord in principle at this point. There is no final document. There are no details," Mitrovich said. "At this point those details will not be released until the board meeting on July 19. But what we did achieve is the fact that the pickets have been taken down, everyone is back at work and we can go ahead."
Ed Maher, spokesman for the Operating Engineers, said the district reached out to the unions Tuesday, seeking an agreement and negotiations ensued.
"At about 8:30 last night, we agreed to a project labor agreement with the district that ensures skilled union laborers will be used on all district projects for the next seven years and in exchange, no work stoppages will take place during that time, even in the event of a strike," he said.
School board member Terry Fielden said workers from both unions will pick up second and third shifts and work seven days a week to ensure the $87.7 million renovation project is completed on time for the school's scheduled Aug. 25 opening.
Work came to a halt July 1 after the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 and Laborers' District Council of Chicago and Vicinity went on strike. The groups are at odds with Mid-America Regional Bargaining Association and Excavators Inc.
The project at Central, 400 W. Aurora Ave., includes a three-story addition that will house all major subject areas. The 3,000-student school also will get infrastructure upgrades, a new learning resource center, new athletic and music space, improved traffic flow and synthetic turf on its football field.
Officials had explored options such as split shifts at Naperville North High School, petitioning the state Board of Education to delay the opening of classes or even using vacant space at the nearby Alcatel-Lucent campus in Lisle.
Check back at dailyherald.com or read Friday's Daily Herald for more details.
