D-158, union set plans to meet
By AMBER KROSEL - akrosel@nwherald.com
HUNTLEY – The District 158 school board and teachers union will meet at 1:30 p.m. Sunday for their next round of negotiations.
After seven hours of discussing differences about a new teachers contract Wednesday night, setting a schedule of future meetings was one thing the two sides could agree on.
However, school board member Larry Snow said both also “seemed to agree” on slimming the $400,000 gap in first-year salary increases between each side’s contract versions.
“The [Huntley Education Association] expressed an interest in working with us to narrow the difference,” Snow said.
The board’s final offer would give most teachers a 5.25 percent raise the first year. After an hour of deliberation, union representatives said that was not enough, Snow said.
The union’s contract proposal offered most teachers a first-year salary increase of 6 percent.
Teacher compensation for the first year was the sole item debated Wednesday night, but Snow added that Sunday’s meeting might include talks of economic versus non-economic values of the contract, and evaluating the priorities of the union.
Although teachers legally can strike at any time, union co-president Julie Hunter said she wanted negotiations to continue.
“We would hope with each meeting that we can settle this contract,” Hunter said.
After Sunday, the next scheduled meetings are Sept. 14, 16 and 23.
