Negotiations: September 25 Joint Announcement Regarding Contract Negotiations
Published by Mr. Duback on Sep 25, 2019

The following message is shared on behalf of Heather Pilch (Teachers' Union President) and John Corcoran (District 106 Board President):

As we began the 2019-2020 school year, the Board of Education and the Highlands Association of Teachers (HAT) issued a joint communication about the status of our ongoing teacher contract negotiations. Since negotiations began in January, the negotiating teams from the Board and the union have met more than 20 times and have reached tentative agreements on a number of issues, including teacher work day, personal leave, and planning time.

The current contract with the teachers expired August 15. Teachers are currently receiving last year’s rate of pay and benefits as we continue negotiations. When we reach agreement, any increases will be paid retroactively to the start of the school year.

The Board and the union continue to meet with the support of a mediator to address the economic issues yet to be resolved, including salary and benefits. The parties continue to work in good faith to negotiate a multiyear contract that serves the best interests of all Highlands stakeholders – our students, teachers, and taxpayer community. Our next negotiation session is scheduled for Monday, September 30.

The demonstration held on Friday by employees and parents was in no way an indication of a pending strike. We have a shared interest to reach a contract agreement without disruption. We will continue working on open issues through the bargaining process. We are also jointly committed to not allow the bargaining process to interfere with the consistent, high-quality instruction that the teachers are providing to the students in our classrooms on a daily basis.

Please show your support for Highlands by encouraging both the Board and HAT to keep meeting and working to achieve a contract agreement that supports both the educational quality and the financial stability of our district. As appropriate, we will continue to provide timely updates on the status of negotiations via email and our district website.