Vote Authorizes Strike For District 203 Teachers, If Needed

NAPERVILLE, IL —A recent vote by teachers in the Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA) will give the collective bargaining team authority to enact a strike amid strained contract negotiations. On Tuesday, members voted "overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a strike," but NUEA had no plans to strike as of Tuesday, a news release said.

“Listen, no one wants to go on strike. In fact, it’s the last thing we want to do. We’d much rather be in our classrooms with our students than out on the picket line. But we’re also willing to do whatever is necessary to make sure our students have the best education possible,” NUEA President Ross Berkley said in a statement.

He added, “If we do go on strike, we also want to reassure parents and our community that we will give plenty of notice before, so arrangements for childcare can be made.”

The District 203 2025-26 school year is slated to begin Thursday. The most recent contract expired at the end of June 2025.

Contract negotiations have been underway since February, with the District 203 board of education and NUEA at odds over number of issues. These include salaries and proposed changes to school arrival and dismissal times.

According to a public update from District 203 board president Charles Cush on Aug. 12, "[t]he Board of Education’s latest proposal to the NUEA was made on behalf of the community and would be funded by our taxpayers."

Cush added, "We take seriously the responsibility to use these resources wisely, ensuring they benefit both students and the educators who serve them every day."

The updated offer would give teachers an average compounded raise that rounds out to more than 10 percent in their first two years teaching in the district. The starting salary for teachers would get a hike of more than 5 percent for the contract's first year.

"It is important to note that even the board’s proposal will necessitate budget cuts and/or reductions in staffing, as the proposed increases will outpace both inflation and district revenues," Cush wrote."However, adoption of the NUEA’s proposal would damage the district's long-term financial health and put us on an unsustainable fiscal path."

NUEA asserts that "District 203 is falling behind in offering competitive salary packages," per the news release.

They say work for district educators has increased "significantly" and that nearby districts offer a higher base salary.

Another point of contention are proposed changes to the District 203 school day.

"The changes to the school day being proposed by the district could move some school day start and end times, causing major shifts in the timing of after school activities and in some cases leave less learning time for students throughout the school day," NUEA's newsletter states.

Berkley said in a statement, “This is about our students. It’s always about our students. We are only asking for the board to make our salaries competitive with our surrounding districts, so we can continue to attract and retain the best staff for our students. Without good teachers, their education will suffer."

In District 203's update, Kush shared similar sentiments about district students.

Kush wrote, "Our focus remains on reaching an agreement that puts students first, honors the dedication of our exceptional educators, and reflects the values of the Naperville 203 community. We are deeply grateful for the passion and commitment our educators bring to their work. This belief is demonstrated by our competitive compensation, as our educators’ salaries were in the top 3% of large unit districts across the state for 2024."

Contract negotiations are expected to continue on Aug. 19.