CALUMET CITY | Representatives of Hoover-Schrum Elementary District 157 and the union that represents teachers, paraprofessionals and secretaries say their contract talks have been productive.

Negotiators are expected to meet again Tuesday and Sept. 25, District 157 Superintendent Michele Morris said.

"It's a slow process because we're negotiating the three contracts (into one). Both sides are working very hard," she said.

"It's still very positive. The dialogue has been positive, and we're working our way through. We're making progress."

Susan Henke, union president, also said negotiations are "plugging along" and the hope is to be finished by the end of October.

This is the first time all three units are bargaining together. Contracts for all three employee groups expired in June.

Henke, also a teacher at District 157's Schrum Memorial School, said a lot of the contract language is set and both sides are "just beginning the money issues."

She said the language from the three separate contracts is being merged together.

The final product will be one contract for all three groups, but each will have different work and salary schedules, Henke said.