Saturday, October 21, 2006 1:16 AM CDT
Second day of work stoppage yields no new talks; Superintendent refuses to meet concerned parents
By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writer
nwest@jg-tc.com
NEOGA -- The Neoga school board has declined to negotiate until striking teachers accept the terms offered by the district at the last collective bargaining session almost a week ago, said a union official.
Meanwhile, about a dozen mothers were locked out of the Neoga School District’s administration building Friday afternoon after they sought to speak with Superintendent Debby Poindexter about urging the school board and teachers back to negotiations, according to the parents.
The teacher strike entered its second day Friday, and officials said there is no end in sight.
“The indication is that unless we accept their offer, they will not come to the table,” said Cole Williams, regional director for the Illinois Education Association representing the Neoga Teachers’ Association.
He said he spoke Friday with the federal mediator with whom the two sides have met twice. The mediator reported that he had extended the teachers’ request for new talks to the board’s hired negotiator, Ron Booth.
“He informed the mediator that the board is standing by their ‘last, best and final’ offer, and that if we informed them in writing that we were ready to accept, they would come to the table,” Williams said Friday.
During Saturday’s session with the federal mediator, the board proposed a contract that included pay and benefit increases but no change to the controversial salary schedule. The teachers union on Monday voted to reject that offer and go on strike three days later, staging picket lines at the elementary and junior-senior high schools.
School district officials could not be reached for comment Friday, although Poindexter previously said that all classes and extracurricular activities are canceled indefinitely.
Outside the administration office on Friday, the group of mothers indicated that while their support was divided between the teachers and the school board, they were united in trying to bring about new negotiations and hopefully end the strike.
They said Poindexter refused to speak with them in person or allow them inside the building.
“We were non-confrontational,” said Cyndi Thompson, who has a daughter in high school. “We just wanted a few answers.”
Poindexter did communicate with some of the parents over the phone, and informed them of the board’s position.
“They’re not willing to budge, and that’s frustrating,” said Stacy Gresens, mother of a son in first grade and a daughter in fourth grade.
She cited the NTA’s claim that the two sides only disagree on about $78,000 over three years. “In the grand scheme of things, that’s not very much,” said Gresens.
Kim Ewing, who fears her son will lose his chance to earn a cross country scholarship because of the strike, said the mothers were willing to have a police officer present in order to talk with the superintendent face-to-face.
“We mean you no harm, we just want the truth,” Ewing said.
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.
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CLICK TO ENLARGE
 Kevin Kilhoffer (JG/T-C)
Neoga High School seniors Garet Shuemaker, left, and John Slifer, right, perform across from the high school on Friday. The Brooder House Band members played in support of Neoga teachers.
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Stephen wrote on Jul 17, 2006 8:22 AM: