Gurnee Teachers To Go On Strike

NBC5 Chicago ^ | September 23, 2003 | Jennifer Mitchell

[Kuksool]

CHICAGO -- Gurnee teachers will walk the picket line beginning Wednesday morning, NBC5's Jennifer Mitchell reported.

About 7,200 students attend classes in Woodland Elementary School District 50, which includes Gurnee, Gauges Lake, Wildwood, Park City and Grayslake. Teachers held a rally at union headquarters Tuesday evening, Mitchell further reported. In addition to the more than 550 teachers going on strike, about 300 custodians and bus drivers will also walk off the job, Mitchell reported.

Beginning Wednesday morning, all four schools in District 50 will be forced to close, affecting 7,200 students in grades kindergarten through eighth, Mitchell reported. All before- and after-school programs are canceled, including curriculum night, which was scheduled for Tuesday evening.

The main issue is money, Mitchell further reported. At the last negotiating session on Tuesday morning, board of education officials offered a 15.5-percent pay increase over the next three years for teachers, custodians, bus drivers and secretaries. That figure is far from the union's request, Mitchell reported. The union is looking for a 29.5-percent pay raise over three years. Currently, the average salary for a teacher in the Woodland school district is just more than $39,000.

Union officials complained that that figure is far below state averages, Mitchell reported.

"Even at the percentage as it stands right now, we won't get back to those averages," said Mike McGue, of the Lake County Federation of Teachers. "We can't make out in one contract for several bad contracts in a row. (What) we can do is try to make a sizable step and stem the flow of talented staff to surrounding districts."

At this point, no new talks have been scheduled, Mitchell reported. Teachers have been working without a contract since Aug. 21. This will be the first time they have been on strike since 1985.

[Kuksool]

Please pull this thread. Reason: Double Post.