D-158 still working toward deal
By AMBER KROSELakrosel@nwherald.com
HUNTLEY – Contract negotiations between the District 158 school board and teachers union went well into the night Friday.
After weeklong meetings between the two, the sides did not report reaching a deal as of late Friday evening.
“We are still working,” union spokeswoman Britt Crowe said.
When asked whether the teachers union still was hopeful to have a contract in place when classes start Aug. 25, Crowe said they “wish to continue to negotiate with the board until we get a contract.”
The latest information from both sides included a counterproposal from the school board this week, although board members would not go into details other than to say that it was better than the original.
“Unfortunately, their [the union’s] counterproposal wasn’t ready at the beginning of talks today like we had hoped,” Board President Shawn Green said.
Union representatives did say that they traded counterproposals by late Friday. The 577-member Huntley Education Association recently filed a 10-day intent-to-strike notice, but Crowe said it would be a “last resort.”
Teachers’ contracts expired June 30, and negotiations have been ongoing since February.
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 have not further explained details on that figure, but said it was “correct at the time.”
The board previously had responded to the union’s first request as one that would boost costs more than 30 percent over the next three years. Union representatives have argued that their original plan would not cause deficit spending or budget cuts.
Once an agreement has been reached by negotiating teams, the school board and union representatives must take the deal back to their respective members to approve by vote.
Both sides said they did not know late Friday whether there would be another negotiations meeting scheduled in the near future.
