UPDATE: President of the Naperville Unit Education Association Dan Iverson tells WBBM talks have wrapped up for today in which they had good and honest conversations with the school board but did not make substantive progress. The two sides are slated to meet again Friday.
NAPERVILLE (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Teachers in Naperville Community Unit School District 203 may be headed for a strike instead of back to the classroom next week, though a bargaining session is slated for Monday.
The last contract expired at the end of June, and while the board of education wrote it’s confident students can return Aug. 19 as they continue talks, the Naperville Unit Education Association responded saying that while it "absolutely does not want to go on strike”, teachers don't intend to return without a settled agreement.
District 203 leaders have said “despite multiple bargaining sessions and much hard work, the sides have not been able to reach an agreement on several key issues. The board is committed to continuing to negotiate with the NUEA.”
The union said "short-term interests are preventing them from seeing the long-term benefits to the community." Pay and family leave are the main sticking points.
Meanwhile, the district said it hopes to reach a fair and fiscally responsible multi-year contract that serves the best interests of all stakeholders.
The union held a rally last week at Naperville North High School with hundreds of members and supporters wearing red.
Related
