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Negotiations Update: An Important Message from the Board of Education
Oct. 19, 2018  
 
Yesterday, the Geneva 304 Board of Education and the Geneva Education Association (GEA) met for more than four hours under the guidance of an independent mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. While little progress was made at this negotiating session, the Board remains committed to the mediation process.  We have two additional sessions scheduled for October 23 and 30.  
 
The GEA’s most recent proposal, which was presented to the Board last night, is very similar to the proposals it provided to us on September 6 and October 2 in terms of salary and benefits. It did contain some proposed language and process revisions — for example, the union is now proposing a three-year contract term as opposed to the four-year term previously presented.  
 
In contrast, in our most recent proposal, the Board significantly increased its salary offer to $1,800 per teacher per year – an aggregate increase of $2.5 million over the life of the contract. This proposed salary increase is in addition to the approximately $4.6 million paid by the Board on behalf of teachers and their dependents for health, medical, dental and life insurance. This proposal was provided to the GEA and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB), as well as publicly posted on the District’s website, on October 10.  
 
As you may be aware, the GEA had previously initiated a formal dispute resolution process that required both sides to submit their most current offers to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) for public posting by the legally mandated October 10 deadline. As detailed above, the Board complied with this requirement. The GEA did not file its posting until October 11. As a result, the Board appealed to the IELRB and the union subsequently reinitiated the public posting process. Both the Board and the GEA now have until Tuesday, October 23 to submit our most current offers to the IELRB for public posting on October 30.  
 
Reinitiating the public posting process will also delay the earliest date on which the GEA could strike to November 13. The Board believes that this outcome, which keeps our students in school and learning as we continue to negotiate in good faith with the GEA through the mediation process, is in the best interest of all District 304 stakeholders — including our students, their families, teachers and staff, and community.  
 
Please continue to show your support of District 304 schools and students by continuing to call upon both the Board and the union to keep talking and to work in good faith to achieve a contract agreement without disruption to our schools, students and families.   
 
Sincerely,
Geneva CUSD 304 Board of Education