Ottawa teachers on strike.
Ottawa, Illinois is roughly 85 miles southwest of Chicago.
From IEA Communications Director Charlie McBarron:
A four-hour meeting Tuesday failed to bring a settlement to the contract dispute between members of the Ottawa Township High School Education Association and the school board. School will be closed and OTHSEA members will be walking picket lines on Wednesday morning.
Insurance for the teachers is a major sticking point,
The board is asking the teachers to pay 20 percent of the difference between individual and family coverage. For this year, that would be $172 per month for teachers with families.
However, Glenn Weatherford, president of OTHSEA, said that number will fluctuate each year based on recommendations from a third-party administrator that oversees the district’s self-insurance plan.
He said that negotiations broke down Tueday because the board refused to budge from its proposal.
The OTHSEA Website is here. Send words of encouragement to President Glenn Weatherford: othsea@gmail.com
