advertisement

'Progress' in Huntley teachers contract mediation; talks to continue Tuesday

Huntley teachers made "significant progress" Wednesday in a mediation session with the school board over a new teachers contract, a union spokeswoman said Thursday.

The session ended at 11:30 p.m. Negotiations will continue next week.

"There is no final contract as of now, but the atmosphere is optimistic that we can reach a fair resolution that is fiscally sound and competitive," said Cindy Rick, spokeswoman for the Huntley Education Association, which represents more than 650 teachers.

"We appreciate the time and energy of the negotiation committee and the board who are working tirelessly to find a solution that is fair for everyone," she added.

Huntley Community School District 158 school board President Don Drzal said the mood at Wednesday's mediation session was "upbeat."

"It is definitely going well. We're making progress," Drzal said, adding that he is hopeful both sides will come to some resolution on the issues Tuesday.

The current contract expired June 30. It included yearly step increases of 3.5 percent for each of the three years of the contract; teachers off the salary schedule received a 2 percent yearly increase.

Teachers are seeking higher, more competitive pay and help with health insurance costs to stem the tide of teachers leaving for neighboring districts. They asked district officials to share the burden and consider paying a greater percentage toward teachers' health insurance premium costs rather than a flat fee as the district does now.

Class size and workload for special education teachers are among the issues being negotiated.

The district's teachers and 9,600 students returned to classrooms Wednesday.

In 2008 teachers went on strike for two days.

District 158, teachers union in mediation over contract

District 158 teachers ask board for more competitive pay

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.