It’s a very sad day in District 158. Bongo's ears are drooping and his tail has lost its "wag." For the first time in many years, District 158’s teachers union has taken formal steps leading to a strike. The union put out a press release detailing their intent to go on strike shortly after midnight last night.
In Illinois, if teachers intend to strike, they must send their intention in writing to the school district at least 10 days before the strike begins. The earliest date the teachers could strike is ten days from today, or Friday, August 22, which is three days before the scheduled school starting date of August 25.
To be fair, an intent to strike does not mean that a strike is definite. Often, the intent to strike is used as a public bargaining chip meant to scare parents who would have to make child care arrangements if the start of school were delayed.
You can read the Northwest Herald story here.
For the record, Bongo believes District 158 teachers are underpaid and deserve pay raises. But Bongo is adamantly against the district spending more money than it brings in next year in order to pay teachers. Deficit spending is not fiscally responsible. Plain and simple.
Having barked that, this move by the teachers union makes Bongo angry, because teacher strikes DESTROY communities. All of the positive steps that have been taken over the last few years to restore trust in District 158 would be gone. And you can forget about getting the community behind any kind of referendum for a high school or massive building expansion in the future. Why would a community support a tax increase that is supposed to be used for low class sizes and sound financial footing, when in the end the teachers insisted that those dollars be used to bolster their salaries and benefits?
Bongo would imagine that it’s the same teachers who are insisting that using the fund balances for salaries is fine that will be first in line to complain in a few years when their classrooms are bursting at the seams with students because there is no money available for hiring new teachers to keep class sizes manageable, no money for any new building space, and no one in the community willing give one more tax dollar to District 158.
Bongo urges the HEA to rethink their stance and think very carefully about what catastrophic consequences their actions could have during these next few weeks.
Bongo is going to cut and paste the union's official statement exactly as it was sent out. Notice the typos. You'd think that in a statement of this level of importance, they would have spell-checked it first!!! It makes Bongo go "Yikes!"
The Huntley Education Association and the CSD 158 Board of Education began negotiating a new contract in February of 2008. Through 25 negotiating sessions, your childrens’ teachers have tried with marginal success to agree with the members of the BOE on a fair and equitable settlement.
The Board of Education has focued on breaking promises with the public, grandstanding in the media, campaigning for re-election and fueling an unhealthy situation that has led to teachers leaving CSD 158 to work for districts who offer competitive salaries and benefits. The HEA has focused their attention on creating a contract that will attract and retain quality teachers. They have provided rationale for their proposals, researched surrounding districts and brought to light the discrepancies between other districts and the current CSD 158 contract. The HEA negotiating team has bargained in good faith.
The teachers of CSD 158 wish to continue to offer the highest standards of professionalism and education for both students and staff. The teachers are unwilling to accept being treated as anything other than professionals themselves.
On August 11th, 2008 the Huntley Education Association filed a 10-day intent to strike notice. This action does not mean that a strike is imminent. This notice is legally required for the HEA to have in place should measures by the BOE require further action. As teachers would be working without pay and would be unable to receive unemployment benefits during a strike, they are reluctant to vote for one. Although the 10-day intent to strike notice has been filed, the teachers view the decision to strike as a last resort. However, the teachers of CSD 158 are steadfast in their resolve to be treated fairly and compensated equitably.
For further information, please contact
Britt Crowe, HEA spokesperson
Julie Hunter, HEA Co-President
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