Kane County 16th Circuit Chief Judge Susan Clancy Boles

“It is unfortunate that the labor dispute with our valued employees made up of probation officers and youth counselors continues,” Boles said in the written statement. “While we are always willing to meet with union representatives, the offers we have made to the union probation officers/counselors have all been and continue to be fair and reasonable.”

Boles’ statement includes the following bullet-point summary of the history of the talks and offers made to the union:

• The union is coming off a 15 percent pay increase from the last four-year contract.
• Probation officers receive full health benefits, including dental, vision, 13 holidays off per year, five personal days, three weeks of vacation on average, five sick days that they can turn in for cash if unused, and most have flexible scheduling which allow them to be off Friday afternoons.
• “We have offered the above competitive package; in addition to wage increases which total a 23 percent increase from four years ago through the end of this contract, a seven-year period,” Boles said.
• The union has rejected multiple offers. In addition to the more than 15 percent raise over the past contract, the union has been demanding another 11 percent for a 26 percent raise over a seven-year period.
• The union position has been that they are entitled to an annual 3.7 percent wage increases for the next 11 years, which would be a compounded 49 percent wage increase, unmatched by any surrounding county.
• Most recently, the Chief Judge’s Office representatives met with the union on May 21 and May 22, 2018, and the union’s demands had remained virtually unchanged.
• “On May 30, 2018, we received the first alternative proposal from the union,” Boles said. “The proposal included a lesser annual percentage wage increase but made up for that percentage drop in unrealistic additional dollar demands, again making the proposal not a substantial change in the union’s overall position.”
• Kane County probation officers had the highest percentage wage increases of any Kane County bargaining unit during the past contract period.
• Kane County probation officers expect to have the highest percentage wage increase during this contract period with the above offer.