CAT Tracks for September 9, 2003 CAT OFFERS SUPPORT

In case you were wondering...

The Cairo Association of Teachers sent a letter to the Benton High School Education Association (c/o Mike Salmo, President), expressing support for their efforts to gain a fair settlement.

They are now - at DAY 15 - at a critical stage of their strike. Their Board is letting them "sit". No negotiations are scheduled and their Board (supported by a petition containing an alleged 3000 signatures) has taken a public stand that the employees "must pay" for exercising their right under law to strike - i.e. "dock days"! Sound familiar? (Maybe the Benton Board of Education should look south...and see what happened when CSD #1 chose to "blow off" 17 days of education...and state aid. Does Benton really want ISBE controlling THEIR district?)

On your behalf, we offered words of encouragement...that the CAT could definitely empathize, having "been there, done that" - BIG TIME! For morale purposes, the CAT also made a donation of $100.

Good luck to the BEA and best wishes for a quick - but, more importantly - FAIR resolution to their struggle for a new contract.