Mendota High School Teachers

“Working to Keep What We Have”

 

 

History of Negotiations

 

The Mendota High School teachers and the Board of Education have been negotiating for over six months, with no contract agreement.  A federal mediator has been called in to assist the talks, however, little progress has been made.  Left with no alternative, we have filed an “intent to strike” notice with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.  Another mediation session with the Board of Education has been scheduled for Thursday, September 7^th at 7:00 p.m. at the high school.  As of yet, no strike date has been set.  The last high school teachers’ strike in Mendota occurred in 1981.

 

What We Are Asking For?

 

We are trying to keep what we currently have. 

 

In this week’s Mendota Reporter, the Mendota High School Board of Education submitted a lengthy and costly ad with their version of a contract offer.  In the second paragraph of their ad they state, “some of the details have necessarily been omitted.”  The truth is that many important details were either omitted or manipulated in a deliberate effort to sway public opinion. 

 

The contract offer that the Mendota Education Association has made to the school board is reasonable and affordable with no tax increase.  Our offer seeks to distribute compensation in a manner that is fair for all teachers, including new and experienced teachers.

 

In the contract proposals that we have received from the school board, they have proposed cutting in half the amount of time we have to provide students with individual tutoring, contact parents, and prepare lessons.  They have also attempted to reduce family insurance coverage and require teachers to do more, while getting paid less.  These are just a few examples of the many “take back” proposals the Board of Education has presented us with and the reasons for which we have yet to achieve a settlement agreement.

 

As always, we pledge to the community that we will continue to work toward an agreeable settlement – one that is fair to the community and the Board of Education and one that takes into account our dedication, professionalism, experience and service to this community.

 

Want to Know More?

 

If you are interested in learning more about the specific issues, we invite you to visit our website at www.orgsites.com/il/mendotateachers.

 

What Can You Do?

 

Please call our school board members and encourage them to make a contract proposal that is fair and equitable – one that allows our community to attract and retain quality teachers.

 

Tom Bauer, President                 538-4653                                               Cathy Burke      539-7357

Roger Flahive, Vice President     539-5838                                               Ray Jauch         538-2442

Michael Vercimak                      539-5059                                               Jim Strouss       539-7184

Kurt Holdenrid                            539-9943