Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Chicago Board of Education announced a tentative agreement for a five-year contract with SEIU Local 73. SEIU Local 73 represents approximately 7,500 special education classroom assistants (SECAs), bus aides, custodians and security officers who work at Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Highlights from the terms of the tentative agreement between the Chicago Board of Education and SEIU Local 73 include a minimum 16 percent raise over five years for all employees, and additional, substantial pay increases for SECAs, bus aides and custodians. The agreement specifies no changes to the health insurance plan for five years, including no increases to co-pays, deductibles, plan choices or out-of-pocket costs, with only modest increases in employee contributions. In addition to these benefits, the tentative agreement includes multiple improvements to working conditions for SEIU members. For example, employees will be able to carry over up to 40 days of unused sick leave for use for future absences. The contract will go into effect once both the members of the Chicago Board of Education and SEIU Local 73 ratify the tentative agreement.