Membership of the River Forest Education Association has chosen not to ratify a tentative contract agreement with River Forest School District 90 that was announced last month.
In a joint statement Sunday by the district and RFEA, negotiation teams representing both sides “will resume mediation as soon as is feasible with the goal of resolving open issues.”
But what those issues are, what the final vote tally was and when mediation sessions will resume, either before or after the holidays, weren’t clear Monday.
Teacher union co-presidents Cindy Crannell and Lauren Baiocchi said through an Illinois Education Association spokesperson that the union does not release vote totals, and that “we are in the process of finding a date that works for both parties.”
“We are working with our membership to make sure all concerns are addressed,” they added, without elaboration. They also confirmed the original bargaining team, including them, would continue to represent teachers in the negotiations.
Crannell and Baiocchi, along with district superintendent Dr. Edward Condon, said in Sunday’s joint statement that “we remain committed to working together toward a contract that supports our teachers and ensures the continued success of our students and school community.”
Success has been solid for the district in recent years.
With a score of 85.36, Lincoln Elementary School earned Exemplary status for the third year in a row according to the Illinois Report Card released last month by the Illinois State Board of Education. Willard Elementary School (86.17) was declared Exemplary for the fourth straight year. Exemplary schools rank in the top 10% of the state. The next 67% are considered Commendable, which is what Roosevelt Middle School earned.
The main point of contention in the ongoing negotiations has been teacher compensation. While administrative salaries in District 90 have kept pace with comparable school districts, Crannell and Baiocchi have said, teachers’ salaries in River Forest have fallen behind. Without a new contract, they said, the district runs the risk of losing teachers to higher-paying districts, which could lead to increased teacher turnover.
The sides were forced to bring on a new third-party mediator after the federal government shutdown precluded the original mediator from further participating.
There was strong public turnout in the public comment portion of school board meetings this fall, with consistently over 100 participants.