Crystal Lake District 47 teachers union has declared an impasse. Now what? And could there be a strike?

The Crystal Lake District 47 teachers union has declared an impasse in contract negotiations that have dragged on for nearly a year without resolution. That’s a formal step toward a potential teachers strike. Here’s a look at where talks stand and what could come next.

How did there get to be an impasse?

The school district and the union that represents District 47 teachers, the Crystal Lake Elementary Teachers Association, have been working on negotiations on a new contract since October 2023. A federal mediator was brought on in June to help the sides hammer out an agreement, and the teachers have been working without a contract since the start of the school year.

At a school board meeting Monday, hundreds of teachers and supporters wore red to show their solidarity with the union’s cause, as they’ve done other times before recent sessions. Also at the school board meeting, board President Tim Mahaffy read a lengthy statement, also posted online, sharing some of the details of the board’s offer to the teachers union and tried to address what the district said was incorrect information. The union likewise claimed the district’s statement about its offer was misleading.

After Tuesday’s mediation session, the teachers union declared an impasse, which can kickstart the next step toward a potential strike.

With an impasse declared, what happens now?

The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board said the declaration of an impasse prompts a public posting process once the IELRB is formally notified. Public posting has not yet happened in this case. After the parties are given notice, they have seven days to send in their most recent offers, generally considered the “last, best” offers. They have to include cost summaries dealing with the issues the parties have not agreed on.

The Educational Labor Relations Board then has to post those offers on its website, which can take a couple of days to get up. Once those offers are up, the union cannot go on strike until 14 days have passed.

What about an intent-to-strike vote?

The union also would need to take and pass an intent-to-strike before its members could walk off the job. The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board said an intent-to-strike vote can happen at any time, but a union cannot strike until the offers have been online for 14 days. The union also cannot strike until 10 days have passed since the intent to strike vote and notice has been given to the school district, regional superintendent and Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, according to the law.

Even if the union passes a strike vote, that doesn’t mean a walkout will happen, but it gives the union that option and would be another step toward a possible strike. Once the 14-day and 10-day clocks run out, the union’s leadership could decide to authorize a strike at any point.

Union officials said as of Friday a strike vote has not been scheduled.

When is the soonest the union could strike?

With several steps involved and many moving parts, it’s a little uncertain when the earliest a strike can happen. The district said the earliest date was Oct. 15, while the union was not as specific but said it could happen in October.

What is the next step?

More sessions with a federal mediator are scheduled for Sept. 24 and Oct. 1, according to the school district. The outcome of the next session could determine if the union moves to an intent-to-strike vote, officials said.

What happens if there’s a strike?

If teachers walk off the job, classes would be expected to be canceled, as well as extracurricular activities like sports. Depending on how long a strike would last, it’s possible that days missed would need to be made up at the end of the school year, or could cut into planned school vacations.