Custodians and maintenance workers for Elementary District 130, serving Alsip, Blue Island, Crestwood, and Robbins, are calling for the removal of the district’s superintendent and assistant superintendent of human resources amid ongoing union contract negotiations.
SEIU Local 73 stated that the district has canceled two contract bargaining sessions since negotiations began this summer. However, union conflicts with Superintendent Colleen McKay and Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Carrie Tisch date back to 2022.
“The administration has repeatedly retaliated against union stewards and workers, and employees have been punished for alleged violations and then terminated for those same supposed violations,” the union said in a news release Tuesday.
Field organizer Doug Taylor highlighted one of the union’s main concerns: a hostile work environment for custodians and maintenance workers that includes racial discrimination. He noted that administrative officials have prohibited workers from speaking any language other than English during disciplinary hearings and have disallowed the use of interpreters.
“Advocates are not allowed to speak Spanish in a sidebar with the people they’re representing,” Taylor said.
SEIU Local 73 represents 50 custodians and maintenance workers within District 130, with 95% of those workers being people of color, the union added. Taylor also accused district officials of demonstrating a pattern of harassing and targeting union stewards.
Requests for comment from McKay, Tisch, and district board members were not immediately returned.
Union members have publicly spoken out against what they describe as racist and retaliatory practices at recent board meetings. However, as of Tuesday, they have reportedly lost faith in McKay and Tisch, Taylor said. The union’s petition calling for the removal of the superintendent and assistant superintendent has garnered over 900 signatures.
“When we were looking at options to make progress for our members, this was the step that we chose to involve the community,” Taylor explained.
Other issues raised by the union include the administrators’ rejection of proposals to provide custodians and maintenance workers with clear guidance during lockdowns or law enforcement incidents.
“Currently, they don’t know what their role would be in the school,” Taylor said. “So they just want training, that’s all.”
The union has also gained support from elected officials. State Rep. Bob Rita called for an investigation into “allegations of racism, retaliation and anti-union practices” in a union news release dated October 6.
State Sen. Willie Preston, who began his career as a union janitor, stated, “I know what it feels like to go to work, work hard, and have no respect at the end of the day.”
“Let me be clear to District 130: These workers do their jobs, but you need to clean up your act today,” Preston said.
In addition, union members voiced their concerns at a recent Blue Island City Council meeting. Mayor Fred Bilotto said in the union news release that the issues raised about District 130 leadership “deserve immediate attention.”
“As a union member, educator, and school administrator, I urge the District 130 administration and board to address these allegations and enter into serious negotiations with the union,” Bilotto said.
Meanwhile, Taylor emphasized that the union will continue to raise these concerns publicly until the school board is compelled to take action.
“We’ll continue to raise the issues until we are satisfied that we’re making good progress,” he said.
For further information, contact ostevens@chicagotribune.com.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/23/district-130-custodial-union-superintendents-removal/
