About 230 Teamsters Local 700 members who work for the Forest Preserves of Cook County went on strike Monday over wages.

About 230 members of Teamsters Local 700 who work for the Forest Preserves of Cook County walked off the job Monday. It is the union's first strike in its history.

The workers authorized the strike July 30 after rejecting what the Forest Preserves called its "last best and final offer." They include certified arborists, truck drivers, laborers and mechanics who clear roads, maintain equipment, clean bathrooms, mow grass, remove dead trees and run coordinated burns across the preserves' landscape maintenance, conservation and facilities departments. Between 40 and 60 of the striking workers are seasonal employees, according to Local 700 Vice President Anthony McGee; the rest work full time.

"Our members would rather be out in the preserves doing the work they take pride in but the District left them no choice," Teamsters Local 700 Union President Ramon Williams said in a release Monday. "Our members are done being treated as the least-valued workers in Cook County."

The fight is over wages, specifically the step-rate system that determines pay increases based on years of service. McGee said Teamsters members' wages have risen by less than three-quarters of a percent on average per step, compared with a 5 percent bump per step for non-union employees at the Forest Preserves.

"This has been going on for decades," McGee said. "Our members have waited patiently to address this matter, and being told contract cycle after contract cycle, 'We'll get to it,' they are no longer in a position to wait until the forest preserve gets to it."

The two sides have been negotiating a new contract since last year. The Forest Preserves' current offer includes an 8 percent pay increase spread over two years: 2 percent retroactive to the start of the year, 2 percent beginning this past July and 4 percent more next July. It also includes a $2,500 one-time payment for full-time employees. The district recently added a paid 30-minute lunch, expanded overtime eligibility and a $1,250 one-time payment for seasonal workers, according to a Monday release from the Forest Preserves.

The district said six other unions representing its workforce accepted the same or similar terms. It said any additional money for wages would have to come from raising public fees, cutting services and restoration work, or asking voters to approve higher property taxes through a referendum. "That means the Preserves must consider the immediate and extended impact of major changes to key expenses such as employee compensation," the release said.

The union pushed back on that framing in its own statement, accusing the Forest Preserves of bringing in outside contractors to do union work rather than "fairly paying the skilled workers it already employs."

Despite the walkout, the Forest Preserves said its facilities will operate normally. Trails, picnic groves, nature centers, campgrounds, golf courses and fishing lakes will remain open, and previously scheduled events will go on as planned, according to Forest Preserves spokesperson Carl Vogel.

"Our number one goal during the strike is to keep the Forest Preserves open to the public, safe and clean," Vogel said in an email. "We have not changed what is available in the Forest Preserves because of the strike."

Vogel said non-striking staff have taken on temporary duties outside their usual roles and that the district is using outside vendor contracts to fill gaps left by striking workers. He said the district could adjust its approach if conditions change, prioritizing public health and safety, the ecological condition of the preserves and minimizing disruption to visitors.

McGee disputed that operations are unaffected. He said the contractors hired to cover striking workers' duties generally lack the professional certifications held by Teamsters members, including credentials tied to tree removal and pesticide and herbicide application. He said he expects the public to eventually notice a decline in less visible services, such as bathroom cleaning and tree maintenance, even if the preserves look open and normal on the surface.

The Forest Preserves is directing visitors to fpdcc.com for updates on event schedules, trail access and other location-specific information as the strike continues.

No new bargaining session had been announced as of Monday. Both sides say talks are ongoing. The union says the wage gap it is fighting over has built up over multiple contract cycles.