Could D-158 teachers strike?
By AMBER KROSEL - akrosel@nwherald.com
HUNTLEY – In the company of more than 300 parents and teachers Thursday, the “strike” word was uttered.
With 17 days left until classes begin at District 158, the teacher’s union and school board have yet to come to an agreement on renewal of a teachers contract that expired June 30.
When a few members of the crowd asked about the status of contract negotiations during Thursday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, school board President Shawn Green said it wasn’t a “town-hall meeting” and board members wouldn’t be addressing any questions relating to the deal.
Cheers and clapping arose after one teacher told the board members they’d “failed them,” and shortly thereafter, another mentioned the teachers’ right to strike.
“I know the teachers are running 30 days without a contract,” said Dan Isaacson of Lake in the Hills, a friend of several district teachers at the meeting who didn’t want to talk to the press.
“Are they getting ready to strike? Unless parents want to see picket lines on the first day of classes … I suggest they start calling their school board right now,” Isaacson said.
When asked Thursday whether the Huntley Education Association had filed an intent to strike or planned on it, spokeswoman Britt Crowe said she “can’t really speak to that at this time.”
According to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, teachers cannot engage in a strike until prior notice of 10 calendar days has elapsed. District 158 classes begin Aug. 25.
However, Crowe said she was hoping to have updates on the union side of negotiations today.
Board members have said the most recent contract proposal would boost costs more than 30 percent during the next three years, but union representatives have denied that it would cause any deficit spending or budget cuts.
The union proposal sought a first-year increase of less than 10 percent in salary, retirement and health benefits.
The last reported negotiations exchange between the board and union was July 16, when the board offered its counter-proposal.
“The HEA language proposals contain a number of other economically significant items [several with open-ended costs] that are not covered by salary, [the Illinois Teachers Retirement System] and insurance,” the board previously said.
Since the contract expired, summer school teachers in the 577-member Huntley Education Association have continued to work under the terms of the expired deal.
Earlier this summer during the beginning of negotiations, board members called on the Illinois Association of School Boards to strengthen its stance against teachers’ strikes. School board delegates from across the state will vote on the resolution at a November conference.
