Rockford teachers vote overwhelmingly to authorize strike

ROCKFORD - The Rockford Education Association (REA) voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. On Saturday, REA held an all-member meeting and conducted the vote. The vote gives the REA bargaining team the authority to call a strike.

"We have done everything we can to try to avoid this vote, but the administration has left us with no choice," REA President Claudia Marshall said. "This is about what's best for students. We don't have enough teachers in our buildings. We have 70 open positions right now and that's because our wages aren't competitive. Our students deserve better and we'll do whatever it takes to make sure they have high-quality teachers in their schools and the best public education possible."

To legally go on strike, REA would also need to give a 10-day intent to strike notice to Rockford Public School District 205, the regional superintendent and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB).

REA has been bargaining with the district since February. REA's 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. On Dec. 22, the district issued its last, best offer, signaling an unwillingness to negotiate further, which triggered the public posting process through the IELRB. This is also the first legal step toward a strike.

"Nearly one in four Rockford teachers has a second or third job. We cannot afford to provide for our families. Nearly 70 percent of our teachers have considered leaving because of the low wages, increasing workload and a lack of respect," Marshall said. "Meanwhile, the Rockford taxpayers continue to pay for more and more administrative positions each year. Today, there are well over 200 central office staff positions -four times the number there were 10 years ago.- Our students don't need more administrators working in the central office downtown. What they need is enough teachers to fully staff ALL our classrooms."

Still at issue at the bargaining table are:

• Retirement benefits: REA is pushing to expand current retirement options, offering a choice for all members, which will have large cost savings for District 205.
• Working conditions: The district is pushing for an inequitable and unfair burden on special education teachers, while making it difficult to obtain the necessary paraprofessional support for kindergarten classrooms. Teachers go above and beyond by taking on additional duties because there are so many unfilled positions.
• Subpar wages: Rockford teachers make less than many neighboring districts, including Belvidere and Hononegah. Rockford salaries are below average when compared to other Illinois school districts of similar size.
• Retroactive pay:Retroactive pay honors the work REA teachers have been doing all year. Rockford teachers are working without a contract right now, and the district can and should make them whole by providing back pay for any wage increases reflected in the new contract.
• Step increases: The district is proposing to take step increases away from REA members. This represents a monetary loss not just for this contract, but a major loss for the life of their careers in this district. Annual step increases are part of a larger salary schedule the district has already agreed to.

"Retroactive pay and step increases will show REA members the district values their commitment to the district. Taking steps away, even for a year, will mean major lifetime financial losses for Rockford teachers," Marshall said. "The bottom line is: A majority of our teachers live in Rockford. We are Rockford. When you invest in us, you invest in our entire community. Our students should have nothing less."

REA represents nearly 2,000 teachers, social workers, counselors, speech pathologists, nurses, psychologists and other licensed staff working and supporting nearly 28,000 students in District 205.

There are no bargaining sessions scheduled between REA and District 205.

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The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state's 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.