Salary increase a sticking point in Dist. 75 teacher's contract talks

The Mundelein Elementary District 75 School Board says one sticking point in the contract negotiations with the district's teachers is the amount of a salary increase teachers will receive, according to a letter sent to parents Sunday.

The board and the Mundelein Elementary Education Association have been negotiating a new contract to replace the old terms that expired June 30th.

The board's letter claims their current proposal to the union includes salary increases that are substantially higher than inflation that would make the salaries of District 75 teachers competitive with similar districts.

Teachers have said they are among the lowest paid and want a three-year contract and a raise, saying there is a problem keeping teachers in the district.

"We have a serious problem with retention of teachers, up to 20 percent a year in turnover," union co-president Nick Ciko told the Daily Herald at a September rally. "Teachers are leaving because salaries are better elsewhere - benefits, the whole package," he added.

The board's letter on Sunday refuted Ciko's claims of 20 percent a year turnover.

"The truth is that about 10 percent of the District's teachers leave each year," the letter states. "After subtracting out those who retire or leave for other reasons, less than 2 percent of the teachers, mostly in their first or second years, leave for higher paying jobs in other school districts."

The Board and union will have their 15th meeting on Oct. 22.

Following an unsuccessful mediation session on Sept. 19, the union voted overwhelmingly to authorize a teacher's strike.

Before a strike actually begins there must be a 28-day process, which neither side has initiated yet, according to the district's letter.