Dist. 158, teachers set talk guidelines

Huntley Unit District 158 and its teachers won't negotiate in public, but both sides are taking the unusual step of publicizing their initial proposals and final contract before the document goes to a vote.

Bargaining teams from the school board and the Huntley Education Association, the teachers' union, agreed Monday night to the ground rules for teacher contract negotiations.

School board members had floated the idea of holding public negotiations, but the proposal did not survive a series of meetings between the board's bargaining team and the union leadership.

Instead, the sides agreed to make public their initial proposals, issue joint updates every two weeks, and make public their final agreement for at least three days before the board is scheduled to vote on the contract.

Cary Elementary District 26 also tried to publicize some aspects of contract negotiations in 2006, but the idea was scuttled because teachers weren't interested, board Secretary Chris Jenner said.

"I think there's more good than bad in doing it," Jenner said. "It just seems that you're talking about public money and it's right for the public to see what's being done with its money."

The Huntley Education Association could not be reached for comment.

Now that the ground-rules discussions have ended, negotiations can begin. District 158 board President Shawn Green said the parties plan to meet once a week until they reach an agreement.

"Now we're going to get down to business," Green said.

At the first negotiation meeting next week, District 158 and teachers' union representatives will discuss a meeting schedule, a timeline and their goals.

District 158 and the teachers' union, which includes more than 500 teachers and staff members, have until June 30, when the current two-year contract expires, to reach an agreement.