District 146 Educators Authorize Strike

Tinley Park, IL – The certified teaching staff of District 146 have filed official Intent to Strike paperwork with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, following a strike vote taken by members earlier this week. 230 of the 232 members voted, and 99% of them agreed to strike if a deal can’t be reached.

While this does not mean a strike is imminent, it does mean that the District 146 Educators’ negotiating team has the support of members to call a strike if there is no other path to an agreement at the bargaining table.

“This Board of Education has pushed us far enough,” said District 146 Educators Council President Eileen Von Borstel. “The district has the funds to ensure we can recruit and retain high quality educators, but the Board of Education is refusing to use that money to invest in our students and the people who teach them. We have no choice but to move towards a strike if they refuse to bargain a fair contract.”

The two sides have been at the table since February, but the union declared an impasse when the Board started bargaining regressively and stalling over the summer.

The union’s current contract penalizes teachers who work past retirement age, putting drastic limits on whether the district can retain experienced teachers. In addition, teacher compensation is towards the bottom when compared to neighboring districts.

“Teaching should be a full-time job that earns full-time pay, but more than half of us have to work second and third jobs,” continued Von Borstel. “It’s exhausting. Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions – and without a fair contract, we worry that these conditions just aren’t sustainable to ensure a strong future for our students and the district.”

Indeed, the district has double the ISBE-recommended amount of cash on hand. The District 146 Educational Fund grew by more than $3 million last year alone – much more than enough to cover the difference between the union and board proposals.

The union stands ready to bargain. The earliest they can begin a strike is September 22.

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The District 146 Educators Council represents 232 teachers who educate 2,400 students in Tinley Park, Oak Forest, and Orland Park. The D146 Educators Council is affiliated with Local 604, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of Teachers.