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Latest News

New Paid Parental Leave Policy

Local 73 has come to an agreement to secure paid parental leave for Chicago Park District members. We finalized a Memorandum of Understanding with the District that provides eight weeks of paid parental leave to employees who meet FMLA requirements, retroactive to January 1, 2023. Births, adoptions, or foster placements that have occurred on January 1 or later qualify for this policy.

Click here to read the full agreement for details of the policy.

Wins

Since the beginning of the year, Local 73 has been able to accomplish two major wins for our members in the Chicago Park District.

Monthly Physical Instructors – We have reached an agreement through the end of 2023 to reduce the years of service required to become a Monthly Physical Instructor in the District. We believe this will help to alleviate staffing shortages as well as allow an easier path to full time employment for our members.
Juneteenth – We have secured Juneteenth as a holiday for 2023 and intend to add into our new contract we are preparing to negotiate this year. The holiday will function like any other holiday according to Article XIX of the current union contract.

We are continuing to fight for the implementation of Paid Parental Leave for Local 73 members this year.

Preparing for Bargaining

Your bargaining committee is preparing proposals based on the results of our bargaining survey we conducted over the last several months. Our motto going into these negotiations is Protect Us, Respect Us, Pay Us! Our members provide vital community hubs, and many of our members worked through most or all of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is time that this important work is recognized for what it is. Our priorities include:

Raises that take on the high inflation we are experiencing and longevity pay increases
Fully staffed field houses, service yards, beaches, and pools, and more Monthly positions available throughout the District
A better promotion process
Healthcare options for Hourly employees

The CAT is Out of the Bag!

In March, we launched our Contract Action Team with volunteers from all across the Distract. CAT members are our eyes and ears in the field, and will help the union keep the membership informed of what is happening during contract negotiations. If you are interested in joining the CAT, contact Cameron Manicni at CMancini@seiu73.org.

Questions? Reach out to a steward or your union organizer.

Join the Contract Action Team!

It will take more than sitting at the table to get what we need in our new contract – it will take organizing! That is why we are building a Contract Action Team to help plan actions, ensure members are informed about what is happening, and prepare us for what it takes to win the best contract we can get. We need to have at least one CAT member in each park. Are you interested in joining the CAT? Contact: cmancini@seiu73.org.