Support staff urge higher pay as District 39 enters contract negotiations

Several District 39 support staff used the board's public-comment period on April 27 to press for higher pay as the district begins contract negotiations. Valerie Gabuzzi, who said she works for the district and is currently off work with a back injury, disputed any suggestion of job abandonment and said she is awaiting worker’s compensation approval for surgery.

Cindy Like, who identified herself as the office clerk at Wilmette Junior High School, told the board some bonuses paid to other positions exceed the annual salaries of support staff and said her own annual income is under $32,000. She asked the board to ‘‘be better compensated’’ and to prioritize wages in the negotiations.

Elizabeth Candido, a kindergarten paraprofessional at McKenzie Elementary and a 16‑year resident of Wilmette, said she made $29,000 last year and called support staff the ‘‘foundation’’ of district work. She asked the administration to ‘‘reinvest’’ in support staff and to pay livable wages, noting the time she spends directly with children and describing the limited unpaid lunch time she receives.

Board members did not take action during the meeting; the board’s public-comment rules note that the board listens to comments but will not respond to individual non‑agenda requests immediately and cannot take formal action on non‑agenda items. The district is entering contract negotiations with its union; speakers asked that wage equity be a focus of those talks.

The board’s next steps on negotiations were not specified in public remarks. The district later considered budget and audit items during the consent agenda, which the board approved by roll call.

Ending: The comments put public pressure on negotiators ahead of bargaining; no formal response or timeline for action on wage changes was stated at the meeting.