Dozens of support employees including nurses and program assistants at Palatine Township Elementary District 15 picketed on the side of a highway on Wednesday to show their frustrations over stalled contract negotiations. The Educational Personnel Association union represents roughly 435 workers in the district. The issue of wages has been the biggest sticking point in contract talks. Two weeks ago, each side submitted their “final offer”: the school district offer is a 6 percent wage hike over four years, and the union wants a five-year contract with an average 3 percent raise in the first year, with all getting 3 percent annual hikes in the second year and for each year following, with additional compensation for nurses, secretaries, and special education assistants.
See "District 15 union members picket in Palatine over contract dispute", Bob Susnjara, The Daily Herald, September 28, 2017