Schools
District 15 Schools Will Stay Open During Possible Strike
Educational support staffers could strike as early as Monday if a new contract isn't reached.
PALATINE, IL — Community Consolidated School District 15 schools will stay open Monday in the event of a strike by educational support workers, the school system's superintendent said Friday. Workers represented by the 435-member Educational Support Personnel Association, which includes secretaries, nurses, sign language interpreters and other clerical staffers, could go on strike as early as Monday if a new contract isn't reached by then. A bargaining session between the union and the district is set for Sunday, Supt. Scott Thompson said in a letter to parents.
"The board is moving forward with optimism that an agreement that is both fiscally responsible and fair to the ESPA members will soon be reached," Thompson said.
According to Thompson, the district might not receive advance warning from the union on when its members might strike, but he said school officials will contact families as soon as they are notified. If a strike happens, the district will try to find replacement staff for the affected positions, he added. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest Palatine news. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)
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RELATED: District 15 Support Staffers OK Possible Strike
Thompson said parents can keep their children at home during the strike, and any absences during that time will not be considered unexcused. He added that some union members might still come to work during the strike, and the district doesn't know if "nurses or program assistants trained to assist students with medical needs will fulfill their charge to care for students."
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Both sides last met at the bargaining table Wednesday, and Thompson said "significant progress" was made. But Bridget Shanahan, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Education Association, told the Chicago Tribune on Friday that Wednesday's talks "did not go well."
The latest district contract proposal includes annual wage and stipend increases and health insurance benefits for staff who work as few as 27.5 hours per week and 174 days a year.
Image via Community Consolidated School District 15
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