Still no contract deal in Prospect Heights District 23

Negotiations between the Prospect Heights Elementary District 23 school board and its teachers continued Friday night in the wake of a strike vote taken by the union this week, but all that was agreed upon was to continue meeting with the federal mediator in September.

School board President Mari-Lynn Peters said the future dates will be Sept. 1, Sept. 8, Sept. 12, Sept. 14 and Sept. 16.

"There are just so many different components we are working on," Peters said. "Slowly but surely we will get together and have a resolution soon."

On Tuesday, 99 percent of the Prospect Heights Education Association membership voted to authorize a strike if there's not a new contract agreement reached in a timely manner, according to a note on the union website.

"We're being forced into this action by a school board that's proposing to compromise educational quality at the exact time it needs to be enhanced," wrote Bob Miller, association president. "We don't want to strike. We are dealing with a board of education that won't listen to us and won't compromise in a fair manner."

Meanwhile, Peters on Thursday sent a letter to parents and district staff members saying the union did not notify the school district of the strike vote - officials read about it in the media, she said.

"We are extremely disappointed to read this in the paper but want you to know that the board remains willing and available to continue negotiations in the hopes of working together for a contract without disruption to the educational process," Peters wrote.

The teachers couldn't go on strike immediately, as the union has not formally filed an intent to strike. Once it does, there is a 10-day waiting period before a walkout can occur.

The most recent contract between the district and its 150 teachers and educational support staff expired June 30.

The board and union met five times in March before bringing in a federal mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. They met twice earlier this summer - including more than five hours on Wednesday.

On their respective websites, both sides say teacher pay is the main dispute.

"I want to affirm that the board strongly believes in and respects our teaching and support staff and wants to compensate teachers and support staff fairly and equitably for their work, while operating within the financial means of the district," Peters wrote on the district website.

The district says the union is asking for more than $1.3 million in salary increases over the life of a three-year contract. That amount goes "beyond the anticipated new revenue the district is expected to collect," according to a memo posted on the district website.

Teachers are asking for 5.5 percent raises for the 2015-16 year, the district said, and 5 percent raises each of the following two years.

For each year of the contract, the board is offering 3 percent raises for most teachers and support staff, and 1.5 percent increases for those making more than $90,000 per year.

In 2014-15, the average salary for a first-year teacher was $41,819. A teacher with a master's degree and 10 years of experience made $59,279, and a teacher with a master's degree and 20 years of experience made $90,000, according to the district.

District 23 ranks second to last among neighboring districts in average teacher salary, last in terms of its highest paid teachers and last in teacher retention, according to the Education Association website.

"Our argument is for quality and fairness," Miller wrote. "We want to maintain the kind of quality school district that attracts and retains great teachers to serve the students - the kind of quality professionals that have made this a great school system."

District 23 and the union have a history of tense negotiations. In 1998, only a 14-hour overnight bargaining session saved the district from a walkout. In October 2000, an agreement wasn't reached until 3 a.m. the morning before a strike was called.

District 23 educates more than 1,500 students from Prospect Heights, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect and Wheeling.