News Releases
District 15 Teachers’ Union Agrees to Impartial Mediation
Classroom Teachers’ Council decision announced just one day prior to when State law would have mandated this approach
District 15 Board of Education announced today that the Classroom Teacher’s Council (CTC), the bargaining unit that represents District 15’s 772 teachers and certified staff members, has agreed to the School Board’s request to engage the services of an impartial mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) in the effort to reach a new multiyear contract agreement. CTC’s decision came just one business day before State law would have required the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) to mandate mediation.
“Since first proposing mediation in late May, the Board has remained firm in its belief that an impartial mediator’s broad knowledge, experience in the process of collective bargaining and status as a respected neutral participant will help us address complex issues and secure a fair, fiscally responsible agreement for all District 15 stakeholders,” said Nancy Lee Carlson, president, District 15 Board of Education. “Though the Board would have preferred to start the mediation process much sooner, we applaud CTC’s decision to prioritize the needs of District 15 students and families and join us in productive negotiations under the guidance of an impartial federal mediator.”
The Board first proposed mediation at the close of negotiation session with CTC on May 30. On June 8, it submitted a formal mediation request with FMCS. Soon after receiving the Board’s request, FMCS indicated that a federal mediator was available to work with District 15 and CTC. However, FMCS declined to schedule or facilitate any negotiating sessions unless and until CTC joined the Board as a co-signer to its request, which until today CTC had refused to do.
On July 17, the Board submitted a formal request asking the IELRB to exercise its authority and mandate that CTC join the School Board in contract mediation. While an official ruling had not been issued, an IELRB representative did contact both the District and CTC to informally recommend and encourage mediation.
The District and CTC are currently working to schedule negotiation sessions with an FMCS mediator.
Updated information on the status of District 15’s negotiations with CTC will be available throughout the summer on the District’s Web site, www.ccsd15.net.
Community Consolidated School District 15 is the third largest elementary school district in Illinois, serving nearly 13,000 students in all or part of the communities of Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Inverness, Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg and South Barrington.
Elementary schools in the District include Central Road School, Frank C. Whiteley School, Gray M. Sanborn School, Hunting Ridge School, Jane Addams School, Kimball Hill School, Lake Louise School, Lincoln School, Marion Jordan School, Pleasant Hill School, Stuart R. Paddock School, Thomas Jefferson School, Virginia Lake School, and Willow Bend School, Winston Campus–Elementary.
In addition, the District has four junior high schools, including Carl Sandburg Junior High, Plum Grove Junior High, Walter R. Sundling Junior High and Winston Campus-Junior High, and an alternative school, John G. Conyers Learning Academy.
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