D-158 contract talks to continue today

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HUNTLEY – District 158 teachers union representatives offered few details about ongoing contract negotiations Thursday.

Spokeswoman Britt Crowe said she didn’t know when the Huntley Education Association would offer a counterproposal to the school board’s most recent offer.

“We are still working with the district board on negotiations and do plan to continue to work with them,” Crowe said. “I can’t speak to when we’re going to have things ready. ... I don’t have a timetable.”

Board members said this week that they did “sweeten the deal,” with another counterproposal but would not release further information.

Negotiations have been ongoing since February; teachers contracts expired June 30. The 577-member Huntley Education Association recently filed a 10-day intent-to-strike notice, but representatives have said they still wanted to start classes with students Aug. 25.

The union’s initial proposal to the board requested a first-year increase in salary, health benefits and retirement of less than 10 percent. Representatives would not further explain details on that figure, but said it was “correct at the time.”

“At this time, we still feel it’s in everybody’s best interest to keep the numbers at the table,” Crowe said. “We are still negotiating.”

The board previously had responded to the union’s initial request as one that would boost costs more than 30 percent over the next three years. Union representatives have refuted that, saying the original plan would not cause deficit spending or budget cuts. The next negotiations meeting is at 3 p.m. today.

– Amber Krosel