After negotiating for seven and a half hours Wednesday night, union and district officials for Ridgeland Elementary School District 122 say they are closer to settling their contract dispute.
Still–in a sign of just how far apart they really are–both sides have agreed to meet with a federal mediator at least three more times in the next 11 days. The two sides are scheduled to meet Jan. 6, 8 and 11.
“We will get it done, hopefully sooner rather than later,” Anthony G. Scariano, attorney for the Oak Lawn-based school district, said Thursday. “We did make some progress last night; I think we did.”
The district’s 125 teachers and 40 support staff members have been working without a contract since June 30. In November, a federal mediator was called in after union and district officials failed to reach a compromise. So far, the mediator has gone through three negotiating sessions with the group.
Ridgeland teachers already have ratified an intent-to-strike measure, but the union has not filed the strike notice with the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board–a move that must occur if teachers intend to walk out. Under state law, teachers can hit the picket lines 10 days after the union files the notice.