CRYSTAL LAKE 鈥� Crystal Lake elementary school teachers and community members plan to wear red and rally before tonight鈥檚 District 47 Board of Education meeting. Rallygoers will then pack the board meeting and plan to speak about the importance of a fair contract.
鈥淭he community support has been truly incredible. We feel very loved and supported听by District 47 parents and our students. From 听and conversations asking how they can help, we know we are being seen and heard by the community. Now we just need the board to acknowledge听the value our educators bring to听the听district,鈥� CLETA spokesperson Jen Rutishauser said.
A recent survey of the CLETA membership showed 73% of Crystal Lake elementary educators have seriously considered leaving their jobs, and more than a third of them have additional jobs in order to provide for their families.
CLETA has been bargaining with the District 47 (D47) BOE since October in the hopes of reaching a fair contract. The two teams entered federal mediation in June. CLETA is working without a contract. There are 670 educators in the CLETA bargaining unit serving the more than 7,000 students who attend D47 schools.
There are several things at issue for CLETA:
- Safe schools: CLETA is advocating for safe schools for all. Students deserve to be safe in their classrooms, as do teachers and staff. CLETA is advocating for improved safety policies and protocols.
- Wages and Benefits: Over the years, Crystal Lake teachers have taken multiple hard and soft salary freezes to help District 47 through tough financial times. The district is in a much better fiscal position now, and CLETA is asking to be made whole.
- Elimination of outside staffing agency: Students benefit and thrive from consistency, having thoughtful, talented adults who are dedicated to supporting them for their educational career. Because the wages are not competitive in Crystal Lake, the administration chooses to hire staffing firms in an attempt to fill open positions temporarily without thought to long-term commitments.
鈥淓nough is enough. We鈥檝e been bargaining for almost a year. We鈥檝e had the help of a federal mediator for months now, and still the board does not act like they鈥檙e interested in reaching an agreement听that will attract and retain quality educators. They don鈥檛 seem to understand this is about our students and their education. We鈥檇 much rather be in the classroom than on a picket line, but we听are ready to do听whatever it takes. We will not stop until we get a fair contract,鈥� Rutishauser said.
Tonight鈥檚 CLETA rally is at 6:30 p.m. at CORE Center (300 Commerce Dr., Crystal Lake). The board meeting is in the same location at 7 p.m. CLETA supporters plan to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting. The next federal mediation session is scheduled for Sept. 17. For more information, check out the
###
The 135,000 member 黑料视频 (IEA-NEA) is the state鈥檚 largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.
