Schools

District 155 Board Rejects Teachers Union Arbitration Offer; Strike Option Remains

District 155 Board of Education unanimously voted against teachers union binding arbitration offer on Thursday, Nov. 14.

The District 155 Board of Education in a closed-session meeting on Thursday unanimously rejected a binding arbitration offer from the District 155 teachers union, the Northwest Herald reports. 

The union, known as the District 155 Education Association, presented the arbitration offer last week, which, if accepted by the school board, would have required both District 155 and the teachers union to honor a contract drafted by an independent party, the Herald reports. 

The 440 members of the District 155 Education Association have been working without a contract since July 1. 

Earlier this month, 99.4 percent of union members voted in favor of a strike authorization vote, according to teachers union president Justin Hubly. 

Find out what's happening in Algonquin-Lake In The Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The strike authorization allows the teachers' negotiating team to call a strike - if necessary - once the requirements of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act are met. 

Had the District 155 School Board accepted the union's binding arbitration offer, the strike option would have come off the table, Hubly said in a news release earlier this month. 

Find out what's happening in Algonquin-Lake In The Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

With the binding arbitration offer rejected, the teachers union is expected to present its impasse offer, which will become public upon being submitted to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB).

Final impasse offers will be published by IELRB by the end of the month.  

Members of the Education Association plan to hold an informational picket from 6 to 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19, prior to the Board of Education meeting. The board meeting, originally planned for District 155 BOE headquarters, has been moved to Crystal Lake Central High School, 45 W. Franklin St., Crystal Lake. 

The District 155 Education Association's members represent certified staff at Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South and Prairie Ridge high schools, as well as certified staff members at the District’s alternative education program at Haber Oaks Campus. 

More information is available on the District 155 Education Association website. 


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