Schools
UPDATE: Mokena 159 and Teachers Union Reach Contract Deal
Mokena School District 159 and the Mokena Teachers' Association have come to terms on a new contract to replace the one that expired over the summer, a union representative confirmed Wednesday night.
After working without a contract since summer, schoolteachers in will soon have a ratified agreement, union spokeswoman Laurel McGowan confirmed on Wednesday night.
"(T)he teachers' association and the board have come to an agreement, McGowan wrote in an e-mail to Patch at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. "The association has voted to ratify it, and the board is scheduled to vote on Saturday."
A few hours earlier Wednesday night, the district sent out notice of a special board meeting 8 a.m. Saturday to discuss—and possibly ratify—a new contract with the teacher's union.
Find out what's happening in Mokenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The union already voted to ratify the deal, McGowan said.
The teachers have been working without a contract since summer, an issue that has led to mass protests at school board meetings and concern of a teacher strike.
Find out what's happening in Mokenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The agenda released Wednesday night included a closed-session portion for negotiations and one item to vote on:
Ratify Professional Negotiations Agreement between Mokena Teachers’ Association, IEA/NEA and Board of Education
By law, agendas must be made public 48 hours before a meeting, so the latest this could have been released was 8 a.m. Thursday.
School board President John Troy confirmed there will be a vote on the measure on Saturday, but did not offer specifics.
This story will be updated as it develops.
Updated at 9:42 p.m. Wednesday with McGowan comments, 10:39 p.m. Wednesday with Troy comments.
Read past articles on contract negotiations:
, Dec. 13
, Dec. 8
, Dec. 6
, Dec. 2
, Nov. 30
, Nov. 11
, Oct. 28
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