Evergreen Park Teachers Union Feels Mediator 'Unnecessary'

The Evergreen Park Federation of Teachers is turning down the D124 school board’s request for a mediator to help resolve the few “challenging issues” remaining on the table for a new union contract.

• Related: D124 Board Requests Mediator for Next Round of Teacher Contract Talks

The school board sent home a letter with students on their last day of school May 31, explaining to parents that it had reached “tentative agreements” on 80 percent of the union's proposals. To help resolve the remaining issues, the Evergreen Park Elementary Dist. 124 school board said it had requested a mediator to be present at the next negotiating session scheduled for June 21.

The current contract is set to expire at the end of the month.

Neither side is commenting on the final issues yet to be resolved. During 2012, when teachers walked the picket line for ten days, the remaining sticking points were salaries and health benefits.

Union president, Linda Blaeser, stated that the union didn’t agree to a third party mediator because the teachers' negotiating team didn’t feel it was necessary.

“We have not agreed to a third party mediator because we continue to believe in our ability to bargain and reach a fair agreement. Additionally, we feel that the use of a mediator may delay the negotiating process as both parties would have to work around a mediator’s schedule. With only a few items on the table, we feel that a mediator is not needed at this time.”

Blaeser also said that meetings listed on the district’s website as “cancelled at the request of the union” is inaccurate.

“The union has not cancelled one scheduled meeting. Meeting dates are determined week by week to allow each time to meet as necessary to prepare for the next session,” she said. “While we hope to reach a fair and amicable agreement in the near future, we cannot give a specific date at this time. We are committed to working diligently with the board.”