Hinsdale High School Teachers File Strike Notice

CHICAGO (CBS) -- High school teachers in west suburban Hinsdale have taken a step closer to a possible strike, amid stalled contract talks with Hinsdale Township High School District 86.

WBBM Newsradio's Mike Krauser reports the two sides have been negotiating for more than a year, and the teachers' latest proposal was offered to the board on Sunday.

On Tuesday, the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association filed a strike notice with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. That starts a 28-day countdown until teachers can actually walk off the job.

District 86 Board President Dr. Richard Skoda said, "I am especially saddened by this because last night the Board unanimously announced in public that we were seriously weighing the Union's proposal, which we received at 10 p.m. Sunday night, and sought time to thoughtfully cost out that proposal and meet with their leadership to ascertain that we were using the same numbers in our analyses."

Skoda noted the timing of the notice from the union would allow a strike to begin right before the football game between Hinsdale South and Hinsdale Central, which is also Hinsdale Central's homecoming

Earlier this summer, more than 300 teachers, counselors and social workers with the Hinsdale School Teachers' Association voted to strike, but agreed to work when school started in August.

In a statement on union's website, officials said, "The board has made minuscule changes, superficial adjustments and incomplete proposals since last September, while we have been making significant concessions to try and meet their extreme demands."

Hinsdale High School Teachers Association lead negotiator Jeff Waterman said the strike notice is a necessary step to make progress in contract talks.