Schools
Gower 62 Board, Teachers Close to New Deal, President Says
Both the Gower Education Association and the board must vote to approve what the board president told The Doings is indeed a tentative deal before it's made official.
The Gower Elementary School District 62 Board of Education and its teachers union have a tentative deal, Board President Ryan Asmus said in a story by the The Doings published Monday.
Members of the Gower Education Association (GEA) have so far been working this current school year without a contract.
A mediation session on Nov. 20 was the third such meeting. If there is an agreement, the GEA must ratify the contract before the board can vote to finalize it.
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In a statement released on Nov. 14, before the latest mediation session, the Gower board said the teachers instituted a "slow down" following the first mediation session on Oct. 29, from then working the minimum number of mandated hours.
"After the second mediation session, the GEA membership chose to begin picketing before and/or after school," the statement reads. "If you visit our schools, you may notice that some teachers have elected to make statements about the state of contract negotiations. Teachers wear red t-shirts with the statement 'Gower Teachers United' and a 'Working Without a Contract' badge. In some teachers’ cars, there are signs about working without a contract or demands for a fair contract.
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"The Board disagrees with the actions of the GEA and does not believe its tactics are helpful to the negotiations process."
The Doings reported that it's possible the GEA may ratify the new deal this week and the board may vote on it Friday or Saturday, when it holds interviews for its open superintendent position.
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