AFT President Randi Weingarten will visit Patton Elementary’s strike and join Proviso teachers at a rally in the afternoon
CHICAGO – National and local union leaders will show their support at two districts in which teachers are striking. Teachers from both Proviso District 209 and Patton Elementary District 133 have been left no choice but to strike to give their students the districts they deserve.
WHAT: National and local union leaders rally with striking teachers
WHO: American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery, and Proviso Teachers Union (PTU, IFT Local 571) President Maggie Riley.
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9
7:45 AM: Strike lines commence at Proviso campuses and Patton Elementary
• Patton Elementary: 13700 S Stewart Ave., Riverdale
• Proviso East: 807 S. 1st Ave., Maywood
• Proviso West: 4701 Harrison St., Hillside
• Proviso Math and Science Academy (PMSA): 8601 Roosevelt Rd., Forest Park
1:00 PM: AFT President Randi Weingarten and IFT President Dan Montgomery will visit the strike line at Patton Elementary, 13700 S Stewart Ave, Riverdale
3:00 PM: Local labor leaders and AFT President Randi Weingarten will rally for Proviso teachers at Miller Meadows Forest Preserve, 2175 S 1st Ave, Forest Park, IL. Miller is across the street from Proviso Math and Science Academy (PMSA): 8601 Roosevelt Rd., Forest Park. Speakers will be available for interviews after the rally.
DAILY STRIKE LINE INFORMATION:
Proviso teachers will be on strike at all three campuses, 7:45 AM – 3:30 PM, every school day until an agreement is met. The next mediation session is Wednesday, March 9.
Patton teachers will be on strike from 7:45 AM – 4:30 PM, every school day until an agreement is met. They look forward to continuing to bargain and have offered dates but have not yet received a reply from the Board and Superintendent.
BACKGROUND:
Proviso educators began their strike on Friday, March 4 after nearly a year of bargaining. Issues remaining on the table for teachers include reducing and balancing class sizes at each school and a salary that attracts and retains teachers and makes District 209 competitive with neighboring Cook County high school districts.
Patton teachers and aides began their strike today, March 8, demanding Superintendent Kunst give Patton students the financial investment required to build a fully resourced school district and a salary that will address the high teacher turnover faced by the district.
The Patton Federation of Teachers Council 133 (PFT) represents 19 teachers and classroom aides in General George S. Patton School District 133. They are affiliated with the Southwest Suburban Teachers Union (Local 943) and the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
The Proviso Teachers Union (PTU) is a council of the West Suburban Teachers Union, Local 571. PTU represents about 300 teachers, librarians, social workers, and counselors in Proviso Township High School District 209. They are affiliated with the Illinois Federation of Teachers.