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Related video above: Naperville Unit District 203 students go back to school with teacher’s union, district still in contract dispute
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (WGN) – Naperville teachers have officially announced a strike date after contract negotiations with District 203 came to a halt this week.
The Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA) said teachers plan to go on strike Tuesday, Aug. 26.
NUEA President Ross Berkley issued the following statement on the matter:
We have always said a strike is our last resort. However, after months of bargaining, overwhelming community support and the board’s refusal to make meaningful progress, we have reached a point where we may have no other choice. As a result, we have set our official strike date.
We are announcing our date now because we want to make sure our community has as much time as possible to make arrangements for their children. We are preparing to begin a strike on Tuesday, unless the board reverses course and offers a fair agreement that values educators, supports our students and provides the stability our community deserves.
Instead of maintaining fair compensation for the important work educators have always done, the board is now disregarding the voices of educators, parents and students who have repeatedly called for fair compensation and stability in our schools. The board’s latest proposals are significantly lower than its previous base salary proposals, reducing the value of the work historically performed by our teachers and the worth of our profession.
Teachers have been engaging in contract negotiations with the school district since February on two key issues: salary and changes to the school-day schedule. The contract between NUEA and District 203 expired on June 30.
Last week, teachers voted to authorize a strike, which gave the bargaining team the authority to declare one.
The school district said the school board “remains fully committed to reaching a fair, fiscally responsible solution that focuses on keeping students in school.”
“Our top priority remains our students and keeping them in classrooms,” said School Board President Charles Cush. “We are committed to moving forward together. The strength of our district has always come from the unity between our educators and our community, and we are dedicated to preserving that.”
School officials said negotiations are continuing in an effort to reach an agreement and avert a strike.
The school board said negotiations are expected to resume Friday.
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Ethan Illers
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