ROCKFORD听鈥撎齌oday the听Rockford Education Association (REA)听launched a community hotline so听parent and community members can quickly and easily contact听Rockford Public Schools (RPS) District 205听Superintendent Ehren Jarrett and voice their concerns about the ongoing contract negotiations.听The hotline number is 1.866.806.7794.
This comes after听REA launched an email campaign that generated听more than 8,500听emails to听board members and Jarrett urging them to come to a听contract听agreement that pays听teachers听a fair wage,听provides full support for all students and avoids a strike.
鈥淓nough is enough. We have now been bargaining for a year. We started at the table last February.听Clearly, the听district听isn鈥檛听hearing our concerns at the table. We know parents are just as upset as we are, and we wanted to make sure their voices are heard,鈥� REA President Claudia Marshall said.听鈥淥n top of that, the听district is听now听threatening to cut learning days for students, which means听all 28,000 of our students will have fewer days in school this year.听It鈥檚听totally out听of line and听out of听sync听with听what the Rockford community wants.鈥�
“We want the administration to pay our teachers fairly and competitively. We know how hard they work and how they go above and beyond for our students. Our wages are far behind neighboring districts,鈥� resulting in open positions, which means our students aren鈥檛 getting the support and high-quality education they need to be successful in the future,鈥� parent Christina Rudolph said. 鈥淚 will gladly pick up the phone and call, especially if it means my children, other students and our teachers get what they deserve.鈥�
On听Jan. 24, the听REA听membership overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike. The vote gives the听REA听bargaining team the authority to call a strike.听To legally go on strike,听REA听would also need to give a听10-day听intent to strike notice to听RPS,听the regional superintendent and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB).
REA听has been bargaining with the district since February.听REA鈥檚听contract expired in July, which means educators have been working without a contract since the start of the school year. On Dec. 4, REA and the district began working with a federal mediator during negotiation sessions.听On Dec.听22, the district issued听its听last, best offer,听signaling an unwillingness to negotiate further, which triggered the public posting process through the听IELRB.听This is also the first legal step toward a strike.
Still at issue at the bargaining table are:
- Retirement benefits:听REA is pushing to expand current retirement options, offering a choice for all members, which will have large cost savings for听RPS.
- Working conditions:听The听district听is pushing for an inequitable and unfair burden on special education teachers, while making it difficult to obtain听the necessary听paraprofessional听support for kindergarten classrooms.听Teachers go听above and beyond听by taking on听additional听duties听because there are so many unfilled positions.
- Subpar wages:听Rockford teachers make less than many neighboring districts, including Belvidere and Hononegah.鈥疪ockford salaries are below average when compared to other Illinois school districts of听similar size.
- Retroactive听pay:听Retroactive pay honors the work鈥疪EA teachers have鈥痓een doing all year. Rockford teachers are working without a contract right now, and the district can and should make them whole by providing听back听pay听for any wage increases听reflected听in听the听new contract.
- Step听increases:听The听district听wants听to take step increases away from听REA听members.听This听represents听a monetary loss not just for this contract,听but a major loss for the life of their careers in this district.听Annual step increases are part of a larger salary schedule the district has already agreed to.
鈥淚鈥檝e听said it once and听I鈥檒l听say it again.听The bottom line is听this:听A听majority of听our teachers live in Rockford. We are听Rockford. When you invest in us, you invest in our entire community. Our听students听should have听nothing less,鈥� Marshall said.
REA听represents听nearly 2,000听teachers, social workers, counselors, speech pathologists, nurses, psychologists and other licensed staff working and supporting听nearly 28,000听students in听RPS.
REA听members and parents plan to pack tomorrow night鈥檚听RPS District 205 Board of Education Committee of the Whole meeting听at the听RPS听administration听building听(501 Seventh St.,听Rockford).听The meeting begins at 6 p.m.听The next bargaining date for RPS and REA is set for Feb. 5.
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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.
