Hinsdale District 86 teachers file strike notice
The teachers union in Hinsdale High School District 86 has filed a 10-day notice to strike with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, the district announced Friday.
As a result, the 377 members of the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association - including teachers, guidance counselors and social workers - could walk off the job as early as Oct. 14.
The district said in a statement that a job action can happen without notice at any time once the 10 days have passed. Until there's a work stoppage, all courses, activities and athletics will continue as usual, officials said.
"We are extremely disappointed that the HHSTA has issued a 10-day notice just hours after submitting their latest proposal and while we are still reviewing it," board President Richard Skoda said in a statement. "It is the sincere hope of the board of education and District 86 administration that a settlement may be reached quickly to avoid any disruption to classroom instruction."
On Thursday, the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association revised its contract offer in an attempt to end a contentious year of negotiations.
Whether it's enough to avert a possible strike remains to be seen.
School board members are expected to decide Monday night whether to accept or reject the association's offer.
"The board has to look at it," Skoda said. "But if none of the parameters change, there's really no cost savings anywhere for the board."
According to the teachers association, its offer reduces its original four-year proposal by two years and "accepts a large number of the board proposals." The association says its members are willing to accept "dramatic" reductions in retirement incentives and "shifts in health care to lower the district's costs."
"We wanted to get something done - now - to end the distraction that these negotiations have caused," Jeff Waterman, the association's chief negotiator, said in a statement. "Our offer creates a surplus in the district's budget. It's paid for."
Despite Waterman's comments, the district issued a statement Friday saying the association's offer makes no changes to major components of the compensation package.
The district, for example, wants to offer step, or experience, pay increases based on a new 35-step salary scale. The union wants the district to continue to have a salary schedule with 19 steps, but with some modifications.
One-third of the district's teachers are at the top of the pay scale. Right now, they are paid a base salary of about $127,000 a year. Teachers at the bottom of the scale make about $53,000 a year.
District 86 also wants to adopt a spousal surcharge for health insurance, reduce the number of preparation periods for PE teachers and make changes to retiree health care insurance.
Skoda said the association's revised offer isn't a compromise.
"It's really not a new proposal," Skoda said. "They just took the last two years off the contract. And the only change they made is they were willing to add to the preamble that teachers will work in the best interest of taxpayers and students."
In the meantime, school board members said they're looking forward to contract discussions with the association's leadership at the next mediation session, which is scheduled for Oct. 9.
District 86 includes students from Hinsdale, Darien, Clarendon Hills, Burr Ridge, Oak Brook, Westmont and Willowbrook who attend Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South.