River Forest School District 90 and the River Forest Education Association were unable to come to terms at a mediation session Thursday for an agreement on a new teacher contract.
In a statement to Wednesday Journal, the district said it will begin the public posting process with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, which can be initiated by either side in a negotiation process.
Within seven days, the district and RFEA must now submit their final offers and cost summaries to the mediator, the other party and to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. Seven days after that, the board will post both offers on its website for public viewing.
RFEA co-presidents Cindy Crannell and Lauren Baiocchi, teachers in the district, said through an Illinois Education Association spokesperson that for the district, it indicates “an unwillingness to bargain any more. This means the district will be issuing their last, best and final offer.”
The pair said the next step for RFEA is to move forward with plans for a strike, though they were clear that doesn’t mean teachers will indeed strike.
“We truly would much rather be in our classrooms with our students than out on the picket line,” they said. “We remain open and available to bargain with the district and committed to reaching an agreement.”
The district made a similar statement.
“The district remains committed to finding a solution in partnership with our teachers to compensate them fairly while demonstrating financial stewardship, supporting both the current and future success of our students and school community,” said Supt. Ed Condon.
The two sides came to a tentative contract agreement in November, but RFEA membership voted it down which sent the sides back to the bargaining table.
“We are frustrated and disheartened by the district’s lack of compromise at the bargaining table in order to resolve the issues that led to a failed ratification vote of the Nov. 10 tentative agreement,” Crannell and Baiocchi said in RFEA’s statement. “During the last few joint mediation sessions, the district has made little to no movement on their offers, seemingly unwilling to move an inch to meet us in the middle.”
The union added the district has up to 460 days of cash reserves “and is more than able to resolve the financial components at the root of the failed ratification vote.”
Statistically, the district is one of the top academic performers in the area, if not the state.
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, which are schools that rank in the top 10% of the state. The next 67% are considered Commendable, which is what Roosevelt Middle School earned.
This is a developing story. Expect an update from the Journal early in the week.
