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Oak Park council approves two-year extensions for four union contracts with phased raises
Summary
The Oak Park City Council unanimously approved two-year extensions to four collective bargaining agreements, extending contracts through June 30, 2028, and authorizing a phased wage increase starting Oct. 1, 2025.
The Oak Park City Council voted unanimously Sept. 15 to approve two-year extensions to four collective bargaining agreements, extending the contracts through June 30, 2028 and authorizing a phased wage increase for covered employees.
City Manager Eric Tongate told the council the extensions were negotiated with the city’s four bargaining units and included a 3% across-the-board raise effective Oct. 1, 2025, followed by 2.5% increases on July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2027. “We were able to negotiate after several rounds of negotiation with all 4 of our collective bargaining units, 2 year extensions,” Tongate said.
Human Resources Director Carla Allen said the pay adjustments were intended to keep Oak Park competitive with neighboring communities. “Pretty much the communities surrounding us are doing a little bit more than what we're doing, actually, which has led us to the numbers that we arrived at tonight,” Allen said during the council discussion.
Councilmembers and staff said the increases were budgeted. Tongate noted the city uses state treasurer figures for planning and that market inflation had been considered during negotiations. The administration told council the changes would not require reopening the contracts again until their new expiration in mid-2028.
The council took a single roll-call vote to approve the package of extensions for all four units. The motion passed with Councilmember Crawford, Councilmember Edgar and Mayor Pro Tem Whitehead voting yes.
Why it matters: The agreement affects multiple city departments including public safety and public works. City leaders said the raises aim to reduce turnover and keep Oak Park competitive in regional recruitment, especially for public safety positions where other jurisdictions have offered higher pay.
What remains: The administration said the changes are reflected in the adopted budget and that implementation will be handled through payroll and Human Resources; no additional council action on these contracts is expected until 2028.
