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District 180 board makes its final contract offer
Updated: July 30, 2012 1:43AM
As the end of the school year approaches, District 180 teachers remain without a contract.
The District 180 School Board on Thursday gave the Teachers of Palisades what Superintendent Tom Schneider called the board’s final offer.
It is now up to the teachers union, which has filed an intent to strike, to accept or reject the board’s final offer.
“We would like to meet with the board again and continue negotiating,” union representative Lynn Moynihan said. “The (board) has commented that it is their last or final offer, but they have not declared impasse, so they really have to continue good faith bargaining.”
Both parties’ latest offers are posted on the District 180 website, ccsd180.org.
Salary and the length of the school day remain the final two sticking points between the parties, Schneider said.
The teachers’ last offer asks for 2 percent increases annually, plus a 2.5 percent step increase.
Schneider called the proposed salary increases “unreasonable financial demands.” The board countered with two offers for the teachers to consider.
The first option would provide an annual .5 percent base salary increase in addition to the 2.5 percent step increase. The second option would provide an annual increase based on the consumer price index, not to exceed 3.75 percent, including the step increase.
“2.5 percent is the minimum they could get,” Schneider said.
While the teachers have agreed to lengthen the work day at Anne M. Jeans Elementary to match the length of the day at Burr Ridge Middle School, they have not agreed to spend that time teaching.
“The board thinks that that 20 minutes has a positive impact,” Schneider said.
Teachers argue that younger children are unable to pay attention for as long as older children.
