Naperville teachers set official strike date

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 Aug. 21, 2025

Contact:
 Bridget Shanahan
Media Relations Director
708-341-4361
bridget.shanahan@ieanea.org

Naperville teacher contract negotiations stall, teachers set official strike date

NAPERVILLE — The Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA) set its official strike date for Tues., Aug. 26. This comes after NUEA and the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board of Education (BOE) met for a third time this week to bargain with a federal mediator in the hopes of reaching a fair contract.

Despite the dedication of educators, the support of parents and community members, and countless hours at the bargaining table, the BOE’s most recent proposal represents a major step backward.

The following statement is attributable to NUEA President Ross Berkley:

“We have always said a strike is our last resort. However, after months of bargaining, overwhelming community support and the board’s refusal to make meaningful progress, we have reached a point where we may have no other choice. As a result, we have set our official strike date. 

We are announcing our date now because we want to make sure our community has as much time as possible to make arrangements for their children. We are preparing to begin a strike on Tuesday unless the board reverses course and offers a fair agreement that values educators, supports our students and provides the stability our community deserves.

Instead of maintaining fair compensation for the important work educators have always done, the board is now disregarding the voices of educators, parents and students who have repeatedly called for a fair compensation and stability in our schools. The board’s latest proposals are significantly lower than its previous base salary proposals, reducing the value of the work historically performed by our teachers and the worth of our profession.”

NUEA and the BOE have been engaged in contract negotiations since February with the goal of securing a fair and reasonable contract for more than 1,500 educators who serve nearly 16,000 students in District 203. NUEA members overwhelmingly authorized a strike on Aug. 13. The contract between NUEA and the District expired June 30.

Please be advised negotiations are ongoing in an effort to reach an agreement and avert a strike. The next federally mediated negotiating session is set for Friday, August 22.