Evergreen Park Teachers' Strike Enters Second Week
EVERGREEN PARK (CBS) -- Negotiations over the weekend failed to settle the ongoing teachers strike in Evergreen Park, as the walkout now enters a second week.
More talks are expected on Monday.
Members of the Evergreen Park Federation of Teachers have been on strike since last Tuesday. The strike affects 1,800 students at four elementary schools and one middle school.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Brandis Friedman Reports
Podcast
Kathy Rohan, president of the School District 124 board, said the teachers union increased its demands Sunday, but also said the groups are making progress.
But Deneen Pajeau, field service director for the Illinois Federation of Teachers and a member of the union's negotiating team, denied the teachers increased their demands.
"We made concessions in one area and made a change in another," she said.
The district is seeking a four-year agreement, but teachers want a three-year deal.
The board has offered pay raises based on the consumer price index, with bonuses based on test scores. The teachers want raises of at least 3 percent a year, and oppose basing bonuses on test scores.
The board also wants to eliminate contributions to health reimbursement accounts, while teachers want the district's contributions to increase slightly.
The Sun-Times Media Wire, via the Southtown Star, contributed to this report
