McHenry High School District 156 teachers strike: Union, board to meet Friday afternoon

McHENRY – The McHenry Community High School District 156 teachers union and school board will meet Friday afternoon as the second day of a strike wears on at both high school campuses.

Lead negotiator for the board, Gary Kinshofer, and union officials said they would next meet about 2:30 p.m. Friday. Plus, another session already has been planned for 1 p.m. Sunday, Kinshofer said Friday.

Union spokeswoman Heidie Dunn said the preemptive Sunday session has the association feeling concerned.

"We're concerned that because they've already scheduled a session for Sunday, we're worried [Friday] will be less about coming to an agreement and more about trying to determine what the Sunday session will be," she said.

Kinshofer later said the board's negotiating team could only coordinate a roughly three-hour window Friday between work schedules, so the options were either meet Friday for a short time and try to get started, or wait until Sunday.

"We never go into any meeting not expecting to reach an agreement, but at the very least, if we don't, we need to cover some ground today," he said.

[ PHOTOS: McHenry high schools close as teachers strike for better contract ]

The strike, which followed months of unsuccessful negotiations between the McHenry Community High School Educators’ Association and the school board, began early Thursday morning and again about 7:15 a.m. Friday.

Classes, extracurricular and co-curricular activities for roughly 2,600 students are canceled while the strike continues. Friday night’s football game against Cary-Grove, scheduled to be McHenry’s Teacher Appreciation night, was canceled and will be a forfeit victory for Cary-Grove.

Thus far, Dunn has described the atmosphere to be largely positive. As about 150 teachers walk back and forth with signs and matching orange T-shirts, shouts of “Warrior strong,” chants from supportive students, and honks from those driving by could be heard.

[ VIDEO: McHenry District 156 teachers strike over contract dispute ]

Kinshofer has said the board was disappointed with the union’s decision to strike, adding, “Going on strike is not in the best interest of the kids.”

After the most recent session, he also said the two sides still were “very far apart” in terms of what was being offered.

However, on Thursday, he commended the union’s “professional” nature despite the ongoing events.

“Both sides have been very professional and respectful today [Thursday],” he said, adding, “In light of what’s going on, it was nice.”

The two sides have been at odds largely over compensation and insurance contributions since negotiations began in March. The parties entered into federal mediation during the summer.

The school board has been proposing offers that either eliminate or alter the salary schedule, while the union has proposed to maintain the traditional schedule.

Most recently, district officials proposed a four-year contract, according to offers posted on the district’s website. Under that offer, members on the salary structure would receive an average increase of about 3.63 percent in year one, a roughly 1.82 percent increase in years two and three, and a 3.63 percent increase in the final contracted year.

The union’s offer included a 1.36 percent increase to the base salary each year of a proposed two-year contract, in addition to yearly step increases, which district officials have said equate to an average 3.63 percent.

For insurance, the district has offered to pay 50 percent of the premium increases, in addition to the stipends teachers received last school year, which Kinshofer said ranged from $7,000 for singles and $15,500 for families.

The association wants to maintain the stipends and have the district pay 100 percent of the increased costs.

Dunn has said this is the first strike the district has seen in 30 years.

During a union rally that followed Thursday’s picketing, a former District 156 teacher, Bill Noyse, spoke in a megaphone to the crowd of teachers at the association’s headquarters.

A teacher during the last strike in 1985, Noyse said he came out to show support for fellow educators and friends.

“It’s no secret – you’re being bullied,” he said. “There’s one way to deal with bullies, and that’s your camaraderie.”

As she walked back and forth in front of McHenry High School-East Campus, Dunn said she hopes both sides will be able to make movement together.

"If we're stuck in a situation where no one is willing to budget, we'll be out here forever," she said.