UPDATED 7:45 P.M.
PEORIA, Ill. – The Peoria Federation of Teachers Local 780 and Peoria Public Schools have reached contract peace, several months after the previous deal expired.
A joint statement from the district and Local 780 say a three-year collective bargaining contract. Both sides say they cannot discuss details of the deal until after both the union and the PPS Board of Education approve it. The board has scheduled a retreat day for Saturday at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.
The agreement comes after, earlier in the evening Thursday, the union said on social media, “Things not going well. This district is unbelievable. Remarkable. Time to stand strong. We have the numbers.”
The accord comes after several meetings with a federal mediator. It also comes amid allegations by the union of misinformation coming from Martha Ross, school board president. Just last week, hours after the union said progress wasn’t being made, Ross claimed a deal was close to being reached.
The full joint statement from Ross and PFT president Jeff Adkins-Dutro is below.
The Board of Education of Peoria Public Schools, District 150, and the Peoria Federation of Teachers, Local 780, are pleased to announce that they have reached a tentative agreement on a 3-year collective bargaining contract.
Details of the agreement will not be released until the tentative agreement is ratified by PFT’s membership and then approved by the Board of Education. The Board and PFT would like to thank their negotiating teams and the federal mediator for their dedication and hard work in this important endeavor.
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