Legislative/Union Updates

Please come back often to see important legislative updates that affects public education, students, and our valuable education support professionals across Illinois and the nation.

Legislative & Political Action

The IEA’s Department of Government Relations is dedicated to ensuring that the legislature passes no laws affecting members’ pay, working conditions and benefits without membership input.
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RESPECT | Raising Education Support Professionals by Elevating Careers Together is a statewide effort by ESPs, with the support of IEA staff, to improve working conditions by focusing on five areas:

  • Wages – A minimum salary, fair substitute teaching compensation and unemployment insurance
  • Health insurance – Affordable health insurance for the currently employed and the retired
  • Pensions – Making the Tier 2 pension system equitable for all education employees
  • Retention and recruitment – Tuition reimbursement, Grow Your Own Teacher from ESP to certified, quality professional development, paid family leave and licensing fees relief
  • Job duties – Quality job-related professional development, “hold harmless” language for assigned
    duties, appropriate access to IEPs and suitable job duties for ESPs

Support staff are typically the first to arrive at school as they unlock doors and turn on lights. They are some of the first people to greet students when they arrive at school in the morning, who give students the academic support they need to become successful scholars, who carefully assist with their health, safety, and nutritional needs, and are the last people who see students safely home at the end of the day. The value of their work is priceless.

So it’s time we start treating them that way!

Join our respect campaign