Parents Call For D146 Leadership To Make Teacher Contract Deal Happen

TINLEY PARK, IL — As contract negotiations between District 146 teachers and officials again hit a wall last week and a strike looms, parents are calling for district leadership to make a deal happen and avert disruption to the school year.

Educators voted last week in approval of a strike if District 146 teachers and district administrators can't reach a deal on a contract, the Illinois Federation of Teachers said last week. The soonest the strike could take effect would be Sept. 22.

RELATED: D146 Teachers Vote To Strike If No Contract Deal Reached: IL Federation Of Teachers

The certified teaching staff have filed official Intent to Strike paperwork with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, following a vote taken by members of Tinley Council of Local 604, IFT/AFT, the organization said. Of its 232 members, 230—or 99 percent—voted to strike if a deal can't be reached.

The announcement came days after teachers rallied ahead of a Board of Education meeting. 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.

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

In a statement to Patch Friday, District 146 officials said that since the Sept. 8 meeting, the board has made multiple new offers to the union, including on Tuesday morning and again Friday morning. Its latest offer includes raises of 6 percent for each of the next three years and makes the current retirement incentive a benefit with a 10-year eligibility window. The union’s counteroffer was still at 7 percent raises for the next three years, the district said.

“Given that the raises offered by the Board are the highest we’ve seen and higher than any shared by the union, we are surprised and disappointed to be at this point,” said Dr. Jeff Stawick, Superintendent. “However, we remain committed to finding a solution that benefits both the teachers and the taxpayers and minimizes the educational disruption for our students.”

Parents are concerned about a delay in school days, and also are calling for teachers to be fairly compensated.

"They're a great group of educators who need and deserve a fair contract," one commenter wrote on Tinley Park Patch social media.

"Our family wholeheartedly supports district 146 teachers," another said. "They go above and beyond everyday. We’re very grateful for their unwavering dedication to our children."

"As a parent of 146 students I’m surprised and disappointed our school board won’t give the teachers what they need to be successful and compensated fairly," another said.

"Unacceptable!" another said. "I’m so disappointed in this board!"

A parent who wished to remain anonymous emailed Patch with a plea made to Superintendent Jeff Stawick. The letter notes two emails sent by district staff to families over the weekend, addressing the status of negotiations. Those emails are also available as updates on the district's website.

The parent's letter is below.

Dear Superintendent Dr. Stawick,

I am the father of two students in a District 146 school. I received your email this past Friday and Saturday regarding the status of negotiations. I am writing to address my concern regarding the information provided in those emails.

Frankly, I find the defense of your position as stated in your email rather bold. I find nothing in the union’s demand which you shared to be outrageous or unreasonable. While I appreciate the board looking out for the taxpayers, I question the veracity of the claim. It would be unconscionable to think paying a teacher a fair wage is penalized. The “penalty” is really due to the board not having taken action sooner, no? Had the board provided the 6% increases previously, our teachers would not need to ask for an increase over 6% today to recoup the past years’ underpayment. Additionally, if it is a penalty, it is one that inevitably pays for itself. The penalty is actually the board’s responsibility for the extra pension payouts for the teacher who retires. But the salary of the retiree is much more than that of a newly hired teacher. Despite the penalty, the district can hire multiple new teachers now that they do not have to pay the retiree’s higher salary AND can attract new talented teachers due to the competitive salary now offered. In other words, I pay my taxes, the teachers make more money, we hire new talented teachers, but the district has to front money to retirees due to the district's previous nonfeasance.

I understand and respect the process of negotiations. But, what I also know about that process is that strike is a last resort. It does not seem the parties are far apart on their negotiations. Therefore, if we have reached such an impasse that these teachers prefer the risk of strike rather than to continue negotiations, I have to question the board’s position. And while I cannot speak for everyone, I think you would be hard pressed to find support in the community for the position that “these teachers are just being greedy and unreasonable in their requests.”

I implore you, please do not use our children’s education for leverage. Please give our teachers the compensation they deserve. Most of all, please bring these negotiations to a swift end.

Thank you.

A concerned parent of two District 146 students

District 146 Educators Council President Eileen Von Borstel contends that the union’s current contract penalizes teachers who work past retirement age, putting drastic limits on whether the district can retain experienced teachers. In addition, teacher compensation is towards the bottom when compared to neighboring districts, they say.

“Teaching should be a full-time job that earns full-time pay, but more than half of us have to work second and third jobs,” said Von Borstel. “It’s exhausting. Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions—and without a fair contract, we worry that these conditions just aren’t sustainable to ensure a strong future for our students and the district.”

While the teachers' vote earlier last week does not mean a strike is imminent, the IFT said, it does mean that the District 146 Educators’ negotiating team has the support of members to call a strike if there is no other path to an agreement at the bargaining table.