Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for November 25, 2005 TRICO TALKS

With a boys' basketball tournament scheduled to begin on Monday night, the Trico Board of Education requests a negotiations session for Sunday night...sounds like a winning combination!

From today's Southern Illinoisan...

Trico remains on strike; talks to resume

BY CHRISTI MATHIS, FOR THE SOUTHERN

CAMPBELL HILL - A teachers strike entered its fourth day Thursday at the Trico School District, but for the first time since Sunday there's hope the strike will be settled before it enters a second week.

The strike, which began Monday, already has caused the cancellation or postponement of the Performing Arts Class Fall Production on Tuesday. The district is supposed to host a boys' basketball tournament beginning Monday. If the strike continues, Marissa will take over as host of the tourney.

In a statement made before the Thanksgiving holiday, School Board President Brian Chapman said that the Board had requested a negotiations meeting with the Trico Education Association from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

The offer was "absolutely" agreed to by the TEA, said Trico teacher/TEA spokeswoman Kathryn Kuhnert.

"We are pleased that the meeting is scheduled for Sunday," Kuhnert said. "We have guarded optimism about the results of the meeting."

While the strike is officially continuing, Kuhnert said Wednesday that there wouldn't be picketing the rest of this week because of the holiday and the scheduling of the negotiation session.

She also provided documentation regarding the Illinois Education Labor Relations Act and the legality of the teachers' strike, stating that the TEA has acted properly in striking after giving legal notice of intent and meeting with the board and a mediator repeatedly without reaching an agreement.

Chapman said "the board's attorney is focusing on the legal aspects" pertaining to the strike.

Meanwhile, Kuhnert said the TEA has received "really good public response" during the strike. Passersby honk, wave, and show support in other ways, she said, adding that some former students have even provided refreshments.

The district is now on its Thanksgiving break, with classes scheduled to resume Monday. Both sides say they hope Sunday night's talks are a success so students will be back in classrooms Monday.

Chapman said the 9 p.m. conclusion for the negotiations is set in order to allow time to notify students and parents if school will be in session Monday morning.

The TEA represents 64 full- and part-time employees who have been working without a contract since Aug. 15. Trico has 947 students. The district has experienced deficit spending and major cuts in recent years.

The major stumbling block in contract talks since they began in the summer has been employee health insurance. The two sides say they came close to an agreement last Sunday but discussions fell apart over a third year of the contract as the board asked the TEA to retain the same insurance cap for 2007-2008 that they agreed to for 2006-2007.

The board believes if the union changes its insurance policy to one with a deductible, paid for by the board, and approves a plan with lesser drug benefits it would provide considerable cost savings, which the board agreed to allow the union to retain to cover any insurance cost increase in the third year of the contract.

TEA President Lori Hill has said there is simply too much uncertainty about costs for the teachers to agree to the two-year cap. Both parties have agreed to leave insurance untouched this school year.