Mundelein District 75 teachers authorize strike after contract talks stall
Labor uncertainty has hit a second Lake County school district with the authorization this week by teachers in Mundelein Elementary District 75 to proceed with a strike.
Results released Thursday showed the 144-member Mundelein Elementary Education Association voted 122 to 13 to authorize the action, which followed an unsuccessful mediation session Sept. 19.
Teachers in Waukegan Unit District 60 this past Wednesday notified the district of their intention to strike Oct. 2 if no agreement is reached, but they are not bound to that date and could strike any day after Sept. 29. The latest mediation session was scheduled to take place Thursday.
A strike could not happen that quickly in District 75 because of notification and other requirements. In a letter to District 75 parents this week in English and Spanish, Superintendent Andy Henrikson said a strike vote is the first step in a nearly monthlong process before teachers could potentially walk off the job.
“It takes awhile if we can't come to terms,” said school board member Wells Frice, who is the spokesman on teacher negotiations for the district.
“We understand that is something community members would want to know. It's primarily making people aware there is a time frame,” Frice said.
Teachers and the district began negotiating in January and called for a mediator in June. The contract ended June 30.
Neither side would discuss specifics of what is snagging the talks, although Frice has said compensation and working conditions were among the differences.
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're still trying to address their concerns and (are) relatively hopeful we'll come to an agreement,” Frice said. The next mediation session is scheduled for Oct. 22.
Union Co-President Nick Ciko said the wait is “another example of not placing the teachers as a priority in this district.”
He said teachers are not asking for anything that isn't in the current contract and in most cases have conceded to some degree.
As for a potential strike, the first step is for either party or the mediator to initiate a public posting process with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. Once that happens, each party within seven days must submit electronically and in hard copy a cost summary dealing with the issues on which the parties have failed to reach agreement.
Those must be sent to the mediator, the labor relations board and the other party.
Seven days after the receipt of that information, the labor board makes public those issues and each party's cost to deal with them and posts them at http://www2.illinois.gov/elrb/pages/finaloffers.aspx.
A strike can't occur until at least 14 days have elapsed after those issues and cost summaries have been posted.
So, technically, a minimum of 28 days would have to pass after the initiation of the public posting process and teachers going on strike, said John S. Brosnan, special counsel for the labor relations board.
There was no school in District 75 Thursday, and teachers as of early Thursday evening had not declared an impasse.