Huntley Teacher Strike Looms, 5.43% Raise Not Enough

Huntley middle school teacher Mark Stahl, the lead negotiator for the teachers' union, made a presentation to the union membership on Tuesday afternoon.

The “presentation,” dripping with sarcasm and bashing the Huntley School Board, which apparently the union no longer controls, gave the meeting the aura of a pep rally a Homecoming.

I can still remember Crystal Lake Community High School's pep rally in preparation of a football game with the Woodstock Blue Streaks. Nothing good was said about the Blue Streaks. (Ironic that Woodstock's teachers' salaries were never used by union negotiators. See

Competitive Salaries versus Supply and Demand for Teachers)

The rally's “bashees,” the elected guys and gals who, on behalf of the taxpayers, made a “last, best and final offer” of a 5.43% raise, plus dropping the work year from 183 to 182 days to the mainly non-resident teachers (other details at the link).

As someone getting a public pension with a 3% annual cost of living increase, I'm envious (but still grateful).

And, yes, I know, most readers are envious of my and other retired public employees' (including retired teachers') annual 3% cost of living raise on July 1st of every year.

(Hint, if you want to change that for future public employees, the state constitution needs to be changed. If you vote to call a constitutional convention this fall, that issue could be on the table.)

With as good an offer as was made, it is no wonder Huntley Education Association (that is, union) leaders wouldn't allow teachers to meet directly with the board.

No wonder the union got a “No” vote from its members.

“Overwhelming,” they told newspaper reporters.

Now, the union leadership can officially say they did not recommend against the Huntley School District 158's final offer.

They just ridiculed it.

They raised great expectations for a sizable salary increase beyond what the board offered.

Yeah, right.

Looks like we're in for a long strike.

We'll see how what is apparently a new school board majority reacts to such a threat.

Of course, the walk out will occur several weeks after the teachers go back to work.

The Illinois Education Association union needs time to prepared for the confrontation, to get the parents used to sending their children to school.

Without a contract, I wonder if the school board will pay them at last year's pay scale.

Or will it do what California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger did when his state legislature would not pass a budget—pay them minimum wage?

You don''t have to be a union leader genius to know that the Huntley School Board will not cave in the next three weeks.

Nobody likes to be blackmailed.

If you are a parent, I wouldn't cut your ties to whomever is tending to your kids this summer.

And, remember.

The best weather of the year is often while schools are starting...way too soon, in my opinion.

Posted first on McHenry County Blog.