Teachers reaffirm intent to strike

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September 9, 2010

BY MIKE HELENTHAL Commercial-News The Commercial-News Thu Sep 09, 2010, 04:00 AM CDT

DANVILLE — Danville teachers on Wednesday reaffirmed their intention to strike, with members voting to stay home Monday if an agreement with the district isn’t reached during the weekend.

“As soon as we have any information on Sunday we’ll start contacting our members,” said Danville Education Association President Robin Twidwell following the vote tally.

The teachers union met for about two hours and cast votes Wednesday in the DHS gymnasium, announcing the outcome minutes before the start of the District 118 School Board’s regular meeting.

Twidwell didn’t have exact numbers but said the vote in support of striking was “overwhelming” and comparable to the “intent-to-strike” vote conducted two weeks ago, which yielded 98 percent in favor of walking out. The union represents about 400 certified and 200 non-certified employees, with an estimated 500 taking part in both votes.

She said there still is hope a deal can be reached when the union meets with the district’s negotiating team and a federal mediator for the fourth time Sunday afternoon — but if it can’t, teachers will not show up for work and begin picketing the Jackson Administration Building on Monday morning.

“We would appreciate any support from anyone in the community,” she said.

District officials, meanwhile, prepared for the worst.

The school board called for a special meeting Friday to “make decisions regarding extracurricular activities for students in the event of a strike by the Danville Education Association.”

The district released a statement on Labor Day saying District 118 schools would close “for all students” if the teachers walked out.

District administration was asked earlier this week to prepare a report to outline in full the district’s options if a work stoppage does occur. Friday’s agenda calls for consideration and action of the administration’s plan. The meeting begins at 12:15 p.m. in the Jackson Administration Building’s board room.

Following Wednesday’s regular school board meeting, members adjourned to closed session to further discuss negotiations and the district’s response plan in the event no deal is reached.

District leaders also said they hoped the contingency plan will not be necessary and that a deal can be reached at Sunday’s meeting. The sides have been at loggerheads about contract details since April, both disagreeing over the necessity of an across-the-board salary freeze.

The two sides reported progress in talks Tuesday after meeting for four hours with the mediator, but would not provide details. They have been at odds for months about a district-proposed salary freeze and as of last week had not even broached a host of contract language issues.

School officials say information on the district’s reaction to a strike would be made available to the public on the district’s Web site at http://www.danville.k12.il.us.

The DEA also will post information to its Web site as news breaks at http://www.danvilledea.org. Its most recent posting is the union’s defense of a step increase.

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