ADDISON 鈥� The Addison Teachers鈥� Association (ATA) filed its intent to strike notice with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB). The notice allows ATA to legally declare a strike as early as Thurs., Oct. 24.
鈥淥ur hands are tied. We don鈥檛 want to strike, but the board continues to refuse to come to the table and negotiate with us. They are leaving us no choice. We won鈥檛 stop fighting for our students, even if it means we have to go on strike to get them what they need,鈥� ATA co-President Allison Andrikokus said. 鈥淪eventy-six percent of our student population is minority, 66 percent of which is Hispanic, and our per pupil instructional spending is below average. We鈥檙e behind most districts in the county. This is completely unacceptable. Our students deserve the same education afforded to the students in our neighboring districts. The board needs to start putting them first.鈥�
ATA鈥檚 members are currently working without a contract. The ATA has been negotiating with the Addison School District 4 Board of Education (BOE) since February. In late September, the BOE abruptly declared they鈥檇 submitted their last offer to the ATA.听 On Oct. 7, the BOE and ATA met to negotiate again. ATA submitted an offer that was rejected without bargaining. Since then, the BOE has refused to bargain. District 4 serves 4,059 students. ATA has 327 members who are teachers, speech pathologists, media specialists, social workers and psychologists.
鈥淭his is a women鈥檚 rights issue. Ninety percent of our membership is women. Teaching is no longer a job a woman takes just to help supplement her husband鈥檚 income. In many cases, we are the breadwinners. We need competitive wages,鈥� Andrikokus said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 no wonder, we are hemorrhaging teachers. We鈥檙e losing good, quality teachers that our students deserve. For the last five years, we鈥檝e lost nearly two dozen teachers a year. Those teachers are being forced to look for work outside of District 4 because they need a wage that will allow them to provide for their families. We are just asking for average, and we know the district has more than enough money to give it us without raising taxes.鈥�
There are no negotiation sessions scheduled. ATA remains ready, willing and able to bargain at any time.
ATA members and District 4 community members plan to wear #redfored and rally on Tues., Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. in the parking lot of Venutis Italian Restaurant and Banquet Hall (2251 W. Lake St., Addison).
###
The 135,000 member 黑料吃瓜网 (IEA-NEA) is the state鈥檚 largest education employee鈥檚 organization. IEA represents preK-12 teachers outside of the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.
