Dixon School officials and teachers did *not
reach an agreement in a meeting that lasted until nearly two this morning. That means a
teacher strike that started yesterday will continue today and schools are still
closed.
Reps from both
sides negotiated for nearly 7 hours talking about the strike that effectively
shut down school yesterday, keeping 2,800 kids out of class. Friday will be
day two of that, and reps from both sides say they don't want this to drag on
any longer than it has to.
Teachers will
continue to strike outside of the schools they teach at, walking up and down
main streets and bridges holding up signs saying they'd rather be in their
classrooms and that they wanted to be appreciated and paid for the work they
do.
They've been
negotiating that pay and more for
months. Sticking not only on raises, but also new textbooks and new technology,
as well as the addition of more teachers.
The school board
and union were optimistic that they'd reach a deal over night but after hours
of negotiations, no deal was made. Both sides want to end the strike, getting
teachers off the picket lines and back in the classroom.
We're told some
progress was made but main sticking points were undecided on.
"There's no contract
settlement this evening. Things just didn't happen that way," said Union Lead
Negotiator Dolph Ricks.
"There were some
tentative agreements reached and that's always good but there are still some
pretty big issues out there, but those are things we're gonna talk about," said
Superintendent Michael Juenger.
The school board
and teacher's union are excited to finally be able to talk at the same table Friday,
they'll be meeting from 10AM-1PM. They will not be
meeting on Saturday. Talks will start
on Sunday at 1 PM. They will also meet Monday and Tuesday night.
Teachers say
they will strike Monday-Friday until a deal is reached.
