D-158 moves past strike

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

HUNTLEY – When District 158 teachers went on a two-day strike in mid-September, a rift was created in the Huntley atmosphere among parents, students and school officials.

Some say that bitter taste might be stuck in the community's mouth for a while yet, but others think relations have improved between the district and its teachers.

Sue Davenport, a Lake in the Hills mother of two children who attend district schools, said that although she doesn't personally feel any animosity about the strike, she senses that many other parents do.

"My concern is, in the future we may need another referendum to pass," Davenport said. "It's going to be more challenging, and I'm afraid the memory of this last year will come to rue again."

The strike was the result of an ultimatum after months of stalled teachers contract negotiations. The negotiations began in February; contracts expired June 30.

Teachers and school board members had increased trouble in the weeks before the strike reaching tentative agreements on salaries, health benefits, and retirement contributions. About 600 teachers and other certified staff make up the Huntley Education Association, or teachers union.

"Our relationship with the district office has definitely improved," union co-president Julie Hunter said, adding that representatives soon will begin interviewing possible candidates for the upcoming school board elections.

"We are just looking forward to building a great relationship with them and continuing to improve our school district," Hunter continued.

Five of seven school board seats are up for re-election in April.

In early spring, a new compensation committee – created through the three-year teacher contract – might be put in the works. Made up of both school board and union members, the committee will meet regularly before the current contract expires in 2011 to discuss and compare teachers salaries and retirement contributions in neighboring districts.

School board President Shawn Green added that he hopes the committee can create a merit-based alternative to the salary schedule and raise system.

"There's no way to ensure success when you get a raise just for showing up another year, or an equal raise to someone who might be in the room next to you working twice as hard," he said.

However, Green said, the board members on the committee might not be chosen until after the spring election.

Parent Cheryl Meyer of Lake in the Hills said she thinks the district is "on track now" after putting the strike behind it. But new faces on the board could make a difference during the next round of contract negotiations, she said.

"I think that we've got some personalities on our school board that added a layer of tensions to negotiations that didn't need to be there," said Meyer, who has three children in the district. "I did feel it was a shame because in the past, this has always been a district that has had a good sense of collaboration between the board and teachers."

But Green said the success of future negotiations shouldn't depend solely on who's sitting on the board.

"I think everything will work out fine regardless of who [is elected], as long as the people who are on the board have the taxpayers' best interest in mind, but also aren't mired in the past or let personal agendas get in the way of doing what's right," Green said.