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Hinsdale Teachers Reach Tentative Deal With District 86; Waukegan Strike Continues

CHICAGO (CBS) -- As a teachers' strike in north suburban Waukegan stretches into its seventh day, the threat of a strike in west suburban Hinsdale has ended, after teachers reached a tentative contract agreement with the school district.

Late Thursday night, Hinsdale Township High School District 86 and the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association announced they had reached a tentative agreement to avoid a walkout.

"We are so pleased to make this joint announcement tonight, ending speculation about a potential strike," District 86 Superintendent Dr. Bruce Law said in a statement on the district's website. "This resolution will allow everyone to refocus their energies on the excellent education we provide to all of our students and will restore the natural rhythm of the school year. This move reinvigorates all of us and is a positive step forward."

Details have not been released, as the deal must be ratified by the union's full membership, and then approved by the school board.

"We have reached an agreement that recognizes the contribution that our teachers make in the lives of District 86 students each and every day. We want to thank the community for their tremendous support during this process," HHSTA chief negotiator Jeff Waterman said. "We believe this deal will give our teachers the opportunity to continue to provide the high quality education for which the District is renown while granting teachers access to the professional growth and development that enables them to be so successful in the classroom."

Teachers had authorized a strike, which could have started as early as next week, and affected students in five suburbs.

Meantime, a teachers' strike in Waukegan continued on Friday, with classes canceled for the seventh day for two dozen schools in Waukegan Community Unit School district 60, as talks with a federal mediator have failed to reach an agreement. Contentious negotiations ended early Friday, but will continue after both sides reported some progress.

Earlier, both sides had accused the other of various misdeeds. The teachers complained about the district cutting off their health care coverage during the strike, although the district said teachers were warned that would happen if they walked off the job.

Shortly after presenting its latest proposal, District 60 said the two sides remained far apart on pay, the use of substitute teachers, an extended school day, and other issues.

"The board hopes the union will begin to compromise and show some flexibility and interest in those open proposals," the board said in its statement.

The Lake County Federation of Teachers complained the district issued its statement before the union had a chance to review the proposal and formulate a counter-offer, and likened it to giving a student a copy of Moby Dick at lunch, and asking for a book report by the afternoon bell.

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