Modern School: Another Looming Illinois Teachers Strike

Modern School: Another Looming Illinois Teachers Strike:

Another Looming Illinois Teachers Strike

by Michael Dunn

Last week, teachers from Geneva School District 304, in Illinois, gave formal notice that they intend to strike, after a 12-hour bargaining session failed to reach an accord, the Chicago Tribune. Because state law requires a 14-day waiting period, the earliest the strike could begin would be Friday, November 9.

The main issue is salaries. Teachers say that there is plenty of money in the reserves to not only give them a raise, but to also refund some property tax dollars, as the district did last year. The district, not surprisingly, is crying “fiscal uncertainty” and wants to freeze salaries for the next year, including a freeze on step and experience increases. However, they are willing to