District 158 teachers file intent to strike

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By AMBER KROSEL HUNTLEY - District 158 teachers union representatives announced Tuesday that they had filed an intent to strike. Spokeswoman Britt Crowe sent the Northwest Herald a news release early Tuesday, saying “this action does not mean that a strike is imminent.” The Huntley Education Association was legally required to send notice 10 calendar days before walking the picket lines, but Crowe said this would be a “last resort.” “As teachers would be working without pay and would be unable to receive unemployment benefits during a strike, they are reluctant to vote for one,” Crowe said in the release. “However, the teachers of CSD 158 are steadfast in their resolve to be treated fairly and compensated equitably.” Contract negotiations with the district’s board continue through the end of this week, and both board members and union representatives had said they hoped to reach a solution soon. Negotiations have been ongoing since February. But the latest meetings stalled in mid-July, with union representatives requesting a first-year increase in salary, retirement and benefits of less than 10 percent. The board’s counterproposal said that plan would boost costs more than 30 percent over the next three years. Union representatives rejected that claim, saying that their proposal would not cause deficit spending or budget cuts. Although classes start Aug. 25, summer school teachers have been working six weeks and counting since their contracts expired on the terms of the old deal. .One teacher of the 577-member Huntley Education Association publicly brought up the idea of a strike last week during a board committee meeting.