Contract Talks Stalled, District 146 Teachers To Rally Ahead Of Board Of Education Meeting

TINLEY PARK, IL — Teachers in Community Consolidated District 146 will be holding a rally ahead of Monday’s school board meeting, amid strain surrounding contract negotiations.

Negotiations have been ongoing between the District 146 Educators Council (Local 604) and the district's board of education since February, according to the Illinois Federation of Teachers. The parties have met 10 times over the last six months, including twice with a federal mediator, district officials said. The most recent contract, which covers approximately 246 teachers, expired on July 31.

Teachers will rally at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 8 outside of Kruse Education Center, 7617 Hemlock Drive in Orland Park. The board will then meet at 6 p.m.

After "stalling, regressive bargaining, and no movement" by the board during mediation, the union declared an impasse, IFT said. With the school year in progress, tensions have continued to mount.

“We know the district has the funds to do what’s needed to ensure the success of D146 students, but they keep choosing not to,” said District 146 Educators Council President Eileen Von Borstel. “Now is the time. The reality is that we have more than half of our teachers working second and even third jobs to make ends meet. We also have experienced educators forced to choose between teaching longer or losing retirement benefits. It’s not fair, and it’s not benefiting our students.”

District 146 officials on Aug. 15 updated district families on the status of negotiations.

"... We are writing to provide an important update on the ongoing negotiations between the Board and the Tinley Council of Local 604, IFT/AFT," the district's notice reads. "We have been negotiating a new teacher’s contract since February 2025. Unfortunately, the two parties have not yet reached an agreement...."

The parties began working with a mediator, and in August were required to publicly disclose their latest proposals. Both the district's and union's proposals can be found on the district's website and are also included here.

Compensation and retirement benefits remain at the crux of bargaining issues, IFT said.

The district's proposal includes salary increases over three years — 6 percent in the first two years and 5 percent in the third year — and the retention of the District’s existing retirement incentive, officials said.

The union, though, says that current language around retirement benefits is problematic.

"While the current language supported by the Board requires teachers to give up benefits to stay in their career past their earliest retirement opportunity, the union maintains that incentivizing experienced teachers to leave the profession in the midst of a teacher shortage will not support the sustainability of the district and instead cause teachers to look for a position elsewhere."

The union, leaders say, "has been forced to bargain against itself repeatedly in order to find a path to progress, revising our proposals over and over again, to only be met with the same 'no.'

The Board of Education(BOE) has been stalling our work and has not been receptive to the Union bargaining team since the start. Through several side bar conversations with the Superintendent we continued to find a path forward, but the BOE has done everything to impede our work together and has made negotiations very difficult while confronting our members in public spaces, spreading inaccuracies in the community, and taking over conversations with their team and the mediator.

— Tinley Council 146

Board of Education President Julie Berry, with Superintendent Dr. Jeff Stawick, said they've hoped to strike a fair agreement that will balance teachers' needs with the district's finances.

"The Board of Education and District administrators value our teachers and are proud of the educational environment we have been able to create together, including small class sizes and student-teacher ratios, exceptional educational programming, and minimal unfilled vacancies," a statement reads. "Our last offer continues to support our teachers, keeps District 146 highly competitive within our Tinley Park, Orland Park, and Oak Forest communities, minimizes exposure to TRS penalties that would divert money away from our teachers and students, and responsibly balances the financial burden on the taxpayers of our communities."

The Board of Education recognizes and appreciates the many contributions made by District 146 teachers. Their dedication, professionalism, and commitment to student success are evident. Through creativity, collaboration, and a passion for teaching, they consistently deliver high-quality instruction and strive to become leaders in their field. District 146 teachers also play a vital role in shaping a positive school culture. Their engagement beyond the classroom helps build strong connections with students, families, and the community.

The Board has long valued its positive and collaborative relationship with the Teachers Union. We remain hopeful that this partnership will continue through a fair and equitable contract that reflects the mutual respect and shared goals of both parties.

— District 146 Board of Education

The union is planning to hold a strike vote on Tuesday, Sept. 9 to determine whether union members give authority to the bargaining team to call a strike if necessary.

“We hope this rally and upcoming vote shows the Board that we’re united, and that we are serious," Von Borstel said. "Our students deserve to learn in a district that invests in the people teaching them and is led by people who make good decisions for the future.”