Trail and trash service returned to Thatcher Woods and other nearby forest preserves Thursday, Sept. 3, after 230 Cook County workers ended a 16-day strike.

Members of Teamsters Local 700 voted Wednesday, Sept. 2, to ratify a revised contract with the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Patch reported. The deal sent truck drivers, mechanics, skilled trades workers and other employees back to preserves near Oak Park and River Forest, including the 245-acre Thatcher Woods along the Des Plaines River. The Forest Preserves' general headquarters sits at 536 N. Harlem Ave. in River Forest.

The workers had walked off the job Aug. 17 after months of failed negotiations over wages, overtime and scheduling. It was the first strike by the Local 700 unit at the Forest Preserves, according to the Chicago Tribune.

"Our members did not want a strike, they wanted to be treated like the skilled public employees they are," Teamsters Local 700 President Ramon Williams said.

Under the contract, workers receive a 2 percent raise retroactive to January 2026, another 2 percent increase in July 2026 and a 4 percent raise in July 2027. Full-time employees also get a one-time $2,500 payment. Seasonal employees receive $1,250.

The agreement adds paid lunches and breaks, overtime pay for workers who put in six or seven consecutive days and seniority-based shift selection for landscape maintenance employees. Workers in resource management saw weekend responsibilities cut in half, union Vice President Anthony McGee told the Tribune.

One major issue remains unresolved. The contract does not change the underlying pay scale, which the union had identified as a central demand. McGee said the union plans to raise step increases when bargaining resumes. Management agreed to begin the next round of negotiations as soon as January 2027, according to Teamsters for a Democratic Union.

The preserves stayed open throughout the strike, though a number of volunteers paused stewardship activities in support of workers, WTTW reported. Picket lines ran through the county building downtown and around Forest Preserve headquarters during the walkout.

General Superintendent Adam Bianchi said in a statement that the agreement addresses union concerns while keeping the district on a sustainable fiscal path. The contract runs through Dec. 31, 2027.

Thatcher Woods has several events scheduled in the days ahead, including a free "Sacred Wanderings" walk hosted by Unity Temple of Oak Park on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 8:30 a.m., Thatcher Woods Pavilion.