CHICAGO — The federal government has filed a lawsuit against an Illinois school district, alleging the district's union collective bargaining agreement is unlawful because it limits salary increases for older teachers due to their age.
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Urbana School District No. 116 violated federal law with its union agreement that limited the salary increases of a group of teachers older than 45. The provision limits salary increases for teachers within 10 years of retirement eligibility to a cap of 6 percent above the previous year's salary, the EEOC said.
An EEOC investigation found that one teacher, age 52, had completed post-graduate classes, that would have entitled him to more than a 6 percent raise per the state's pension code, but could not receive it due to his age and the union agreement.
"If [the teacher] were age 40 instead of age 50 when he completed the post-graduate classes that would have entitled him to more than a 6 percent salary increase and he would have received his full raise," EEOC Chicago District Office Gregory Gochanour said in a statement.
"Instead, his raise was capped at 6 percent. Setting salaries based on age is age discrimination, plain and simple, and violates federal law."
The EEOC seeks lost compensation, lost wages and pension benefits for any teachers affected by the collective bargaining agreement.