D228 Teachers Give Final Offer Before Possible Strike

MIDLOTHIAN, IL — A teachers strike in the Bremen Township High School District 228 could be looming after the union, the D228 Joint Faculty Association, has submitted its final offer. The union's last contractual offer to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board is final and awaiting a public posting, according to a news release from the Illinois Education Association. The union cited "a lack of progress during negotiations" as reason for making their final offer.

A full breakdown of what both the JFA and the District 228 board of education currently have proposed is available here through the district website.

Once the Labor Relations Board posts the final offers from both the union and the district, the union must still wait 14 days to go on strike. The two sides will meet again in mediation on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

More than 5,000 students could be affected by a strike at the district's four high schools: Bremen, Oak Forest, Hillcrest and Tinley Park.

“The last thing we want to do is go on strike, but we are willing to do whatever it takes to put our students first,” BHSD228-JFA President Greg Fitch said. “This is about our students. Class sizes have gotten bigger and courses are being cut, severely harming our students learning conditions. Our students’ learning conditions are our working conditions.”

The union still cites two key issues at the bargaining table: competitive compensation and class sizes. Read More: Union Supporters Pack D228 Board Meeting At Bremen

“We need to do more to effectively attract and retain talented educators, to ensure that our students have a bright future here in District 228. Why would anyone want to come here to teach? We have the 13th lowest starting salary of the 15 districts in the area. It’s clear the board is not focusing on what’s best for long-term student learning,” Fitch said.

The board says their offer meets these three objectives: "maintain comprehensive, educational, and co curricular opportunities for District 228 students, demonstrate respect for the tax payers of the Bremen High School District 228 community, offer fair compensation for Bremen High School District 228 educators."

Union teachers and staff at D228 schools have been working without a contract since July 31 and have been in negotiations with the school board since last December.