West Frankfort Teachers File Notice of Intent to Strike

"A strike will be our last resort, and it can still be avoided if the

superintendent and board members work with us seriously."

WEST FRANKFORT, IL – The teachers who are members of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Local 817, have officially filed an Intent to Strike with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB). The action comes after teachers voted yesterday (October 15) to authorize their union's bargaining team to call a strike, if necessary. The Intent to Strike vote was overwhelming; 97% of members voted, with 100 percent voting "YES." West Frankfort teachers may now legally go on strike as soon as October 26.

“We love our students and this community, and we don't want learning or sports schedules to be disrupted," said Tim Aldridge, teacher and president of Local 817. "The overwhelming results of this vote make it crystal clear that our teachers are prepared to strike if the school board gives us no other choice. Teachers' patience is running out.

The union has been bargaining with Superintendent Donkin and Frankfort CUSD 168 school board members for more than five months, including two sessions with the assistance of a federal mediator. Still, little progress has been made.

"Instead of collaborating with us and making compromises as required by labor law, they continue to stubbornly recycle the same unreasonable, shortsighted proposals for massive cuts that would financially devastate our teachers, drive them to other districts, and ultimately hurt our students and schools. On the other hand, our union has offered proposals that would save the district about $200,000, maintain the small class sizes that help our students learn, and help keep our great teachers in West Frankfort schools. It's incredibly frustrating that the board won't even consider them.

The vote and filing of the Intent to Strike notice does not guarantee that the teachers will strike, but gives them the ability to do so if the school board continues to refuse to reach an agreement.

“We want to thank parents, students, and the entire community—especially our fellow union brothers and sisters—for their incredible support so far," added Aldridge.

"A strike will be our last resort, and it can still be avoided if the superintendent and board members work with us seriously. We urge them to fulfill their responsibility to put our students, schools, and community first by reaching a fair agreement immediately."

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The American Federation of Teachers, Local 817, represents about 125 teachers in Frankfort CUSD 168, serving students in grades K-12 in West Frankfort, IL. The local is an affiliate of the 103,000-member Illinois Federation of Teachers.