Possible Public Works Strike Could Cancel Alton Homecoming Parade
Superintendent also shares details of new Homecoming Parade route aimed to maximize student participation.
City of Alton - Committee of the Whole Meeting
ALTON – The Alton High School Homecoming Parade may be canceled this year as the city’s Public Works staff prepares to go on strike in two weeks.
Teamsters Local 525, the union representing the city’s Public Works Department, announced on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026 that union members are prepared to strike on Sept. 25 if a fair contract still has not been negotiated.
At the Sept. 8, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting, aldermen questioned whether the city would be able to safely staff and support the parade in light of the ongoing labor dispute. The discussion was prompted by a street closure requested by the Alton School District to facilitate this year’s Homecoming Parade.
Dustin Christner, deputy chief of the Alton Police Department, said the signup window to assign officers to work overtime in September was last month, which could make finding 14 officers to staff the parade more difficult.
“It would require 14 different officers to cover those posts since it’s a lot of walking in the parade,” Christner said. “We’re all about supporting the school district and the kids, definitely – but just the logistics of it … filling those spots could be a little bit tricky in the shorter span that we have to do it.”
Public Works Director John Mitchell shared similar staffing concerns for his department. To block off an estimated 33 points of access along the parade route, Mitchell said he would need six workers, which represents half of his currently available workforce.
Alton Community School District #11 Superintendent Elaine Kane said the district could offer additional police support following conversations with their School Resource Officer. She also said district staff would be on hand to volunteer as needed, but acknowledged this is a “complicated time” for city staffing.
Kane also mentioned the district’s “willingness to pick up any expenses incurred in regards to Public Works,” but was unsure if school district staff would be allowed to place or remove barricades from the roadways.
At one point, Alderwoman Martha Pfister offered to take matters into her own hands.
“I’m happy to go put out a barricade,” Pfister said. “I’m not a police officer, but I can put up a barricade and take one down.”
Alderwoman Patty Ford said she was unsure “how that would go over” amid ongoing contract negotiations.
At the City Council meeting that followed on Sept. 9, 2026, Pfister added language to the resolution stating the street closure would be canceled in the event of insufficient staff. The amended item passed unanimously.
Superintendent Highlights New Parade Route
If the Alton Homecoming Parade is held this year, it will feature a few notable changes from previous years.
Kane said the school district revised the parade route to remove barriers that prevented some students from participating. She said the parade date was also changed to a Wednesday evening to allow full participation by students, athletes and marching band members.
The parade will now start at the McKinley School parking lot before heading west on West Elm Street, then south along State Street. Kane noted this marks a much shorter route than previous years.
The parade is currently scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, with street closures in effect from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Affected streets include Elm Street from Virden to State Street and State Street from Elm Street to Jefferson Avenue.
A full recording of the Sept. 8, 2026 Alton Committee of the Whole meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
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